Rescued by Love’s Medicine (Preview)

Chapter One

Alma watched the small soap bubbles pop and disappear as the water rushed over her hands and disappeared into the drain at the bottom of the sink. The cool water was refreshing, and for a moment, Alma forgot that her kind fellow nurse, Sally Clark, was practically breaking a sweat at the pump just so she could wash her hands.

“That will do, thank you, Sally,” Alma said, drying her hands on a clean towel nearby and loosening the ties on her apron, soiled by the day’s work. 

“Of course! So funny to think of all those little creatures that could be crawling around our hands at any given time. I shudder to think of all the doctors in small towns all over this country who still think a little rinse of water will do the trick!” Sally exclaimed. Her energy was always high at the beginning of the night, but when Alma inevitably returned to relieve her colleague in the morning, Sally would be subdued with glumness. The hours were long, but helping people through the most difficult, and sometimes the last, moments of their lives was very rewarding.

“Scientists are learning new things all the time. It fascinates me. I wish I could … ” Alma held back from finishing her sentence, knowing this was not the time to talk of her far-fetched dreams.

Sally touched her arm gently and flashed her a pitying smile that made Alma’s stomach sink. Suddenly, she regretted opening up to Sally as much as she had in the past. Now, it wasn’t just Alma who was disappointed by every day she wasn’t allowed to attend proper medical school, but Sally as well. She could see how she looked to the young nineteen-year-old. At twenty-four, Sally was practically an old maid, past her prime and stuck in a life where it was too late to escape. 

“You’re going to get everything you pray for; I’m certain of it. People as good as you deserve to be rewarded, and the Lord notices your sacrifices.” 

Alma smiled back tightly and patted Sally’s arm dismissively. “That’s very kind of you to say, Sally, and I hope the same for you. Anyway, all of that is neither here nor there. I’m going to be late for dinner if I don’t leave soon. Father will be mad that he managed to get home first.”

“Well, he doesn’t take care of nearly as much of the cleaning and sanitizing that you do around here, so of course, he can leave faster. Oh, before you go, Mrs. Levitt wanted me to tell you that her son is an accomplished blacksmith and that you should consider courting him,” Sally said with a twinkle in her eye. “She has a photograph of him, and he happens to be quite handsome. You ought to think about it!”

Sighing, Alma considered how best to reveal the truth to Sally. She was a sweet girl, but she’d seen some of life’s grisliest scenes in her time as a nurse, so Alma didn’t have to treat her like a child, even if she seemed like the type to weep over a missing barn cat. 

“Sally, Mrs. Levitt tells me about her handsome son every time I change her sheets, but I happen to know he was killed in a hunting accident about seven years ago. I’m sure he was very handsome, but in his state, hardly the kind of man I want to marry.”

Sally’s eyes became glassy with tears, but a second later, she held her hand over her mouth to stop herself from giggling.

“Oh no! I don’t mean to laugh. I shouldn’t. It’s terribly sad, really, only … I had no idea!” She regained her composure, straightened her face, and continued, “I think you are right. You cannot be so desperate for a husband that you would marry a man who’s been decomposing for seven years, alive though he may be in his aging mother’s mind.”

 

It was Alma’s turn to giggle. As annoyingly positive as Sally could be sometimes, working together at the Bleak Hills Sanatorium gave them a common language, albeit a morbid one. Certain facts of life could only be discussed with fellow members of the medical community. Alma just wished she could be giggling with medical students instead of nurses. 

“While, yes, I do think I could find a husband with a pulse, the truth is that I’d rather not find one at all. Wives don’t get to go to medical school. Wives don’t get to be doctors.”

Sally bit her lip, the previous moment of levity suddenly muted. Alma started to feel guilty. She never intended to put Sally in a bad mood before abandoning her to take care of the sanatorium’s patients all night by herself. 

“Come to think of it; maybe I should consider marrying Mrs. Levitt’s son after all. I reckon that dead men probably don’t have too many opinions about whether or not their wives work!” 

The wisecrack did its job, and the smile returned to Sally’s face. Alma took the opportunity to say goodbye again and finally made it out the door. If Sally had her way, Alma would never leave. Her father, on the other hand, Michael Mott, the head doctor at the sanatorium, already seemed to resent that he needed her help at the clinic at all. One moment, he’d be telling her to take on more responsibilities, and the next, he’d say there wouldn’t be a man within a thousand miles who would want to marry a woman with longer work days than his. 

It pleased Alma that the sun was still hovering around the horizon by the time she was walking home. Only a week earlier, she was walking to and from the sanatorium in the dark. The changing seasons brought longer days and more of a smile to Alma’s face. The mountains of Wyoming spiked up in the distance, and she could feel her optimism rising similarly.

Bleak Hills wasn’t nearly as desolate as the name made it sound, although the population itself was quite small. Hardly anyone lived close to the town center, as most of the citizens were farmers and ranchers with large amounts of land that stretched far into the distance. As her father was the only doctor in town, Alma and her family lived close to the action, including the general store, saloon, church, and town hall, but it was hardly a bustling place. The views were beautiful, and the people kind, but sometimes Alma yearned to explore other parts of the world.

This would be the month. April would be her time. Once and for all, she would get her father to agree to send her to medical school at the hospital in Cheyenne, or honestly, wherever life would take her.

“Alma? Is that you?” her father called out into the hall from the parlor as soon as she walked into the house.

“Yes, Father. I’m sorry to be coming home so–”

“You’re late. We had to ask Mrs. Carter to delay dinner on your account.”

“I know, there were just some extra things to take care of. I’ll be ready–”

“Don’t rush now. Make sure you’re presentable. We’re a civilized family, after all.” 

Alma raised her eyebrows as she took off her bonnet, mildly annoyed by the unnecessary lecture from her father. If they were truly such a civilized family, why was he shouting at her from another room instead of speaking to her respectfully? It wasn’t worth taking offense to. 

She’d known since the age of twelve that there was a double standard in her family. Her father’s behavior ran unchecked, while Alma and her mother were expected to be a paragon of respectability. Everything in their house was arranged to impress guests and justify Dr. Mott’s sense of self. 

In his mind, the doctor was the heart and soul of a community, second only to the pastor. The parlor was practically a museum, dedicated to every valuable trinket a patient had ever given him. It took their housemaid, Charlotte, the better part of her morning to dust every piece. Alma had sat through many an afternoon with guests as her father showed off all his precious belongings. Over the years, his tales grew taller and taller. Five years ago, he’d received a hundred-year-old egg from China, displayed in a rounded glass case. Only two weeks earlier, Alma had overheard him telling the mayor it was a thousand years old. 

When she got to the dining room, her father still wasn’t there yet, but there was a fine-looking stew on the table, and her mother was sitting patiently at her spot. Mrs. Mott’s eyes lit up when she saw her daughter. Alma smiled back, though she was increasingly concerned about her mother’s well-being. Mrs. Mott’s cheeks seemed further sunken every time she saw her, and her skin was almost translucent. She still kept up with her daily activities, but Alma was beginning to wonder if managing her father’s moods was keeping her from truly thriving.

“Good evening, Mama. How was your–”

“There you are! Took you long enough,” Dr. Mott interrupted Alma for the fifth time that hour alone. Alma bit her tongue, not wanting to pick a fight over how, in fact, Alma had made it to the table before him. 

“You’re looking well today, Papa,” Alma said instead, choosing kindness. 

“Thank you, I’m feeling very well, despite the letter I received from a certain Dr. Martin from Bozeman. Seems he wants to send five patients my way. Five! I’m flattered that he thinks I’m capable, but we hardly have the room for them.” Dr. Mott immediately dove into his meal while Alma and her mother gave a quick, silent grace before taking their first bites. 

Seeing her opportunity, Alma took the leap. She didn’t think the day would come quite so soon that she would have the bravery to ask her parents seriously about medical school, but there was no reason to wait.

“You’re right, that is a lot, but we can manage. It’s flattering that our sanatorium has become such a respected place of treatment for diseases of the lung. That’s all thanks to your hard work, Father,” Alma started, appealing to his vanity.

“Yes, yes,” he agreed, mumbling through his food.

“I’ve been thinking it might be smart for us to consider taking on another doctor. Perhaps another nurse as well.” 

“Another doctor? Who on earth do you think we could pull in up here in Bleak Hills?”

“Well, I had a long-term … creative solution in mind. Perhaps I could be the doctor in question.” 

Dr. Mott choked a little on some food, and Mrs. Mott’s eyes widened. While her father was still prevented from interrupting, Alma pressed on, carefully making her case.

“I know it sounds ridiculous, but with a letter of support from you, as the man responsible for my medical training, I ought to be accepted to a school. There’s a fine institution in Illinois at the university there. They accept female candidates. I’ll do my training, then come back to help you with the growing sanatorium. Of course, we’ll need to find someone to cover my duties while I’m–”

Her father waved his hand dismissively, urging Alma to be quiet. Dutifully, she stopped talking, telling herself to be patient. She’d always known that he would not react well to the request at first, but with time and the proper arguments, she was certain of getting through to him. He was a difficult man, but a man of debate and science, and that was a side of him she could appeal to.

“Absolutely out of the question. You can’t make me laugh while I’m eating, Alma! No, no, no. You’re a fine enough nurse. Please don’t think I’m questioning your abilities in any way. That being said, my sweet, I think you underestimate what it takes to become a doctor such as myself. It’s not a profession made for women.”

“Why? I can learn just the same things as anyone else, and I’ve seen just as much blood as you have. When you brought me into the sanatorium to teach me what you know, we embarked on something as a family. Let me have the chance to grow as a doctor the way you have and make our venture into something all of Bleak Hills can be proud of,” Alma argued. 

It was a convincing point and one made with a good deal of heart, yet, the stubbornness in her father’s eyes was immovable. 

“Family. That’s just what I’m concerned with, Alma. I think it’s wonderfully unique that you’ve learned your skills from me, which is both a testament to you and my teaching abilities. A woman rarely takes to such cerebral matters with such ease. You are too smart to think that this can continue. I want you to have a full life, with love and children of your own to pass your wisdom on to. You cannot do that if you are busy at the sanatorium every day.”

Alma’s breath caught in her throat. Her father wasn’t telling her anything new. Truthfully, she’d set aside any dreams of getting married and having a family long ago. It simply wasn’t her destiny. Her calling was to become a doctor, and if there wasn’t room for both, then so be it. It was a sacrifice worth making. Yet, she was unprepared for the disappointment in her mother’s eyes that would follow such a declaration. 

“I would hardly be the first woman to become a doctor. Emily Blackwell has started a whole Women’s Medical College in New York. The times are changing, Father, and–”

“The times may be changing, but that does not mean we have to. It’s unseemly to have my daughter working in the first place. I have resigned myself to the fact that I require your aid, so I manage the embarrassment internally, but I will not stand by and watch you become such a disgrace to the Mott name.”

Alma looked to her mother for support, but the older woman’s eyes were firmly on her bowl. From the looks of it, she’d hardly touched her stew. 

“I would be aiming to make the Mott name a remarkable one, not a disgrace. Besides, I’m not sure that anything that rhymes with ‘pot’ can be particularly dignified in the first place.”

“Then you’d be best to learn more ladylike behavior from your mother and turn your mind toward the feminine. You will be a wife and a mother someday, and though some men might put down such a calling, I think it very noble and perhaps twice as difficult as becoming a doctor.”

She didn’t think it possible, but Alma found herself speechless. Tears threatened to spill over onto her cheeks, but she knew any respect her father had for her would diminish even more if she let them. Crying would only prove she was a weak-minded woman who was only good for child-rearing. 

“My dear, I hope you do not feel I am being too harsh. I don’t mean to be cruel! Truly, I think you’re the most beautiful and wise woman in all of Bleak Hills, your mother excepted. You have an optimistic spirit that gets ahead of itself sometimes but do not doubt your bright future. I can tell you, I’ve heard many a man out and about praising your clear green eyes and golden hair.”

Kindness reappeared in her father’s tone, but Alma could only hear its condescension.

“I’d rather they praise me for my wit and intelligence. I don’t know what men you speak of. I hardly have time to talk to anyone in town, what with how often I’m at the sanatorium,” she replied, making no attempt to hide her bitterness anymore. She didn’t care if it seemed childish. 

“Well, I can tell you that there’s one man in particular who has asked not only for my permission to court you but my blessing to have your hand in marriage.” The smile on Dr. Mott’s face was wider than Alma had ever seen, and it made her stomach turn.

Marriage would be a death sentence to all her dreams. Worse than that, there wasn’t a single man in all of Bleak Hills that she thought she could possibly be happy with. It was a small frontier town to begin with, so whoever her father had in mind was bound to disappoint her at best and frighten her at worst.  

Her heart started racing as though she was being chased through the forest and running for her life. She’d always known she would have to face the issue of marriage at some point, but it had never occurred to her it would happen so fast.

“Ah, look at the sweet, bashful nervousness in your cheek! That’s precisely how your mother looked when I first made my intentions known,” Dr. Mott continued, evidently misunderstanding the redness on his daughter’s face.

“What did you say to him?” Alma asked, preoccupied with her father’s previous alarming statement about someone asking for her hand in marriage.

“Hmm?”

“The man who asked for your blessing. What did you say to him? Surely you told him you would confer with me before making any decision.”

“Well, he’s a very well-respected man here in town. You’ll be the envy of all the ladies, I’m sure of it. Considering his position in life, it would have been disrespectful to refuse him. Of course, I have no intention of rushing you. The two of you can start to court as any young couple would, simply with the knowledge that the altar is in your immediate future.”

“You already told him I would marry him?” Alma shot back, paying no attention to how loud the question was. Fear seized at her chest as if she was seeing an executioner’s axe with her name on it. 

“Yes! But don’t you want to know who he is?”

“Honestly, I don’t know if I do. I cannot believe you would make such a big decision without even consulting me!”

His smile persisted. No matter how disturbed Alma was, Dr. Mott was immovably happy about this life-changing verdict.

“I told you, he’s not the sort of man to be refused. I think you’ll understand once I tell you who the lucky man is. It’s none other … than Sheriff Rivers.” 

A fog descended over Alma when she heard her father say the name. In the distance, her mother made a small squeal of excitement, but Alma was too lost in her thoughts to say anything. Luckily, no one seemed to notice. Dr. Mott continued on and on about what a good man the sheriff was while dread seeped through Alma’s veins. 

If she were to be forced to marry any man in town, Sheriff Rivers would have been the last on her list. He was old enough to be her father, for one. In fact, he was her father’s closest friend, so perhaps it shouldn’t have been a surprise that Dr. Mott would be so enthusiastic about him as a suitor. 

From the tender age of twelve or so, Alma had dreaded seeing Sheriff Rivers. Whenever he would come to the house, his eyes would gaze up and down her figure slowly, taking in every inch of her as if she were a cow up for auction. Thanks to information from her dear friend Vivian, who was conveniently prone to gossip, she happened to know that Sheriff Rivers’ wife had left him several years earlier, even though he’d told everyone for the longest time that he’d driven her out. Either way, it did not bode well that he would be a good husband. 

Somehow, her father had always been blind to Sheriff Rivers’ faults. He only saw the authority he commanded in the small town, so he was impressed by his power. Dr. Mott even once forced Alma to wear a bracelet that Sheriff Rivers had given her, a bracelet that had clearly once belonged to his former wife. 

“I cannot marry that man,” Alma announced, interjecting whatever nonsense her parents were going on about. “I know he is your friend, but I don’t love him and never will. I beg of you to release me from this engagement, or else I promise I will live out the rest of my days in complete and utter misery.”

She spoke plainly, with no added emotion to her tone, yet her father reacted as if she’d just thrown her drink in his face.

“Calm yourself, Alma. This behavior does not suit you. You will obey your father and do your duty to this family! Now, I am not so naive to think that you will be immediately enamored. Such matters take time. I promise you will not be rushed. All I ask is that you keep an open mind.”

Alma looked to her mother for support. “Mama, I’m begging you. I know you can imagine being in my position. Not only would I be giving up my dream of becoming a doctor to marry that old man, but I would be in total misery. Please, remember what it was like to be a young woman like me. Don’t sentence me to a future with a man like that. If you love me, you’ll tell Papa to call it off,” she begged. 

To her dismay, her mother did nothing more than give a small shake of her head. Alma was truly on her own.

Chapter Two

The next day, Alma was still fuming. She didn’t say a single word to her father as they worked together, caring for patients and delivering treatments. To his credit, he was being gentler with her than usual, but Alma knew the kindness was hollow. Overnight, her bitterness had brewed deeply, turning into a sickening soup of venom. 

In her mind, she’d just learned that her father had been playing a trick on her for her entire life. He’d spent years investing in her education, preparing her to be a nurse and nurturing her scientific mind, only to turn around and marry her off to the first man who seemed wealthy enough. He did not in any way value her mind. Instead, he’d turned her into an assistant he didn’t need to pay and the perfect future mother to his grandchildren. 

When it came time for lunch, Alma escaped the sanatorium, her uneaten sandwich in hand. Truthfully, hunger hadn’t registered all day. She desperately needed to see her friend Vivian Oakley, who she was sure would be the only person to understand just how horrible her position was. 

When she arrived at the Oakley homestead, just minutes away from the sanatorium, she found Vivian in the front, weeding out the vegetable garden.

“Are you hungry?” Alma said instead of “hello.”

“Ah! What a pleasant surprise. Maybe I am hungry. What are you suggesting?” Vivian replied, not giving any hint that she was aware of Alma’s distress.

“Do you want my sandwich? I don’t know what’s in it, but I’m not hungry, and it shouldn’t go to waste.”

Vivian tilted her head, her raven black hair wisping in the wind and escaping from her bonnet. She squinted her eyes, finally catching on that something was amiss.

“What’s wrong? You don’t forget about food for just any reason. What’s happened? Let me guess. Sally made a mistake at the sanatorium, and you took responsibility for it because you pity her more than you should.”

Alma guffawed. “I wish it was something that simple. Come, sit with me. I have quite the tale for you.”

Vivian didn’t need to be told twice. She dropped her trowel and practically skipped to the bench on the porch, shaded from view of the nearby street and any prying eyes. If there was one thing in the world Vivian loved more than anything else, it was other people’s problems.

“Here.” Alma handed over the sandwich the cook had prepared that morning and plopped down on the bench beside her friend. 

“Gossip and lunch? What have I done to be so blessed on this day?”

Alma shook her head. “This is far more dangerous than idle gossip. My father has decided that it’s time that I get married.”

Vivian’s face dropped, giving Alma a small amount of gratification. At least one person in her life understood the gravity of such an occurrence.

“Oh, dear. Well, can’t you delay? Make sure you take issue with every suitor until you’ve run through everyone in town, and take the time to convince your father that studying medicine is your true future!”

“It’s too late. He’s already promised me to someone.”

“Who?” Vivian shot back, hanging on Alma’s every word.

“Sheriff Rivers.”

Vivian immediately jumped to her feet with a disgusted exclamation before pacing about the porch, hands on her hips. 

“No. Your father cannot be serious. Sheriff Rivers? You must be playing a trick on me!”

Alma shook her head. “I’m not.”

“He’s twice your age! Almost, anyway. Besides his age, there’s something sinister in that man. I’ve seen the way he looks at you. Like a wolf considering his prey, with a toothy smile. He’ll eat you right up! I’ve always thought that he takes too much pleasure from the act of punishing people. I know it’s part of his job as sheriff, but I don’t think he should be so happy about it.”

“I know exactly what you mean. I get the feeling he might have been a criminal in another life, and becoming sheriff is a way to excuse his bad behavior while still pretending to be a hero to the whole town. He’s cruel to people!” Alma added.

“I heard that he whipped the Strickler boy for stealing an apple from someone else’s tree, even though it had fallen onto the road.”

Alma’s jaw dropped. She hadn’t heard that allegation before, but it did not surprise her. She sensed a cruelty about Sheriff Rivers that her father interpreted as power. 

“Alma, you can’t marry him!”

“I know! You don’t have to tell me twice. I just don’t know how to get out of it.”

“Well, you can always just decline. They can’t force you to make those vows. They must be stated voluntarily,” Vivian pointed out, coming back to sit next to Alma. The sandwich lay between them, uneaten and forgotten. 

“What would happen if I simply refused? It would be wretched. My father would never forgive me. I wouldn’t be surprised if he told me never to come home.”

“Would that be so bad? Then you could go to the medical college yourself, free of any constraints,” Vivian suggested. 

The notion of leaving had occurred to Alma the previous night when she was in the depths of angry despair. The freedom of having no responsibilities and no one telling her what she could or couldn’t do was tempting. Still, she couldn’t leave her mother. The frontier might be the land of freedom for many, but traveling as a single woman would pose many threats Alma wasn’t ready to take on.

She shook her head. “I can’t. Though she’s turned into a ghost of herself, I can’t leave my mother like that. Not to mention that I have no money of my own. I wouldn’t be able to pay for my studies, let alone the travels.”

“Right. I think it’s ludicrous that your father doesn’t pay you for the work you do, but you’ve heard my speech about that before. As much as it seems like the obvious solution, I know you can’t just leave. We’ll just have to think harder. There’s got to be a way out of it. There just has to be.”

“I know. It almost makes me wish I was courting someone else. Someone I’d come to discover my affection for myself instead of waiting until my parents picked a man for me. At least that way, I’d be doomed to spend the rest of my life with someone I liked, even if I didn’t get to become a doctor. Marrying Sheriff Rivers will strip me of both those dreams.”

Vivian chuckled a little. “Do you remember how everyone used to think you would end up marrying my brother?”

An uncomfortable bout of embarrassment hit Alma. She’d all but forgotten the days when everyone in Bleak Hills would chitchat about how she and Darryl Oakley, Vivian’s twin brother, were destined to be together. Yes, they had been friends, but nothing more than that. Her parents had been the worst about it. Not a day passed in Darryl’s company that could be spent in peace without some teasing from her mother and father. 

By the time they were sixteen, the situation had become untenable. Their growing adulthood made the matter all too real, and she could no longer laugh off the teasing she had when she was a girl. As a proper young woman, there was self-consciousness to her every move, and the mocking was unbearable. Eventually, she and Darryl drifted apart, their friendship having fallen victim to too much outside interference. 

“Yes. How could I forget? It was only mentioned every day of my young life. If there were any way of making sure Darryl and I would never get married, it was being put under a magnifying glass like that,” Alma replied glumly. Though she sometimes missed Darryl’s company, she certainly didn’t miss the smirks at every turn.

“How strange that the whole town fixated on the two of you like that. For a time, it was like you were the uncrowned royals of Bleak Hills. Reluctant rulers of everyone’s hearts and dreams. I think everyone here lost a little bit of their optimism when you stopped being friends.”

Alma rolled her eyes and groaned. The last thing she needed was to be reminded of such a time. They had more important things to discuss.

“Enough about Darryl and me. What am I going to do about Sheriff Rivers?”

“Right. Actually … now that I think of it, Darryl might be a decent solution after all.” A sparkle of excitement shone from Vivian’s eyes. Her mischievous look filled Alma with hope and the tiniest bit of fear. Vivian’s schemes always had an edge of danger that Alma was averse to. 

“What do you mean?” Alma asked skeptically.

“Think about it. Some prior attachment to someone your parents respect might be the perfect excuse to call things off with the sheriff.”

“Prior romantic attachment? Yeah, that sounds like a fine excuse indeed, only I’m not courting anyone. My parents know that there’s no one bringing me flowers or asking to take me on buggy rides. I can’t very well make one up now.”

Vivian’s eyes twinkled, and Alma felt she knew what she would say before she actually said it. 

“You can tell them that you’ve been secretly seeing someone. It’s far-fetched, but there’s one man in Bleak Hills that they would certainly believe you’re already in love with. And that man is–”

“Darryl. Your brother.” Alma’s heart sank, but more because she knew just how right Vivian was. 

“Exactly! Ever since you were children, practically the whole town has thought you two were destined to be together. If you explained to your father that you and Darryl are in love, he’d be over the moon, and make every arrangement to allow for a wedding. I know Dr. Mott hasn’t always approved of the closeness between you and my brother, but deep down, he’d be happy to see you happy.”

“But we’re not in love. I haven’t even had a proper conversation with Darryl in almost … almost five years! Do you really think he’d agree to pretend to be my fiancé and put up with all this disruptive scheming for nothing in return?” Alma was anxious to point out all the flaws in her friend’s plan, and luckily for her, there were plenty of holes to be addressed. The thought of having to make such an ask of Darryl, let alone go through with the hare-brained idea, was enough to make her feel ill.

“Of course, he’ll go along with it. I know it’s been ages since you’ve been proper friends, but Darryl still cares about you. If he could help save you from a marriage to the sheriff and a life of misery, then he’ll do it. Come on! Let’s go to his workshop now and tell him the plan. He might have some good ideas about–”

“No, no, wait,” Alma interrupted, pulling her friend’s arm to prevent her from standing up. Everything was moving far too fast. 

“Wait for what? For Sheriff Rivers to present you with a ring? There’s no time to waste!”

“We need to think this through carefully! Making the wrong move now could be a disaster, even if there is an element of … time pressure. What happens if Darryl agrees to the plan? We pretend we’re courting or perhaps even … engaged. That doesn’t help me get to medical school. My parents would still be expecting me to get married. Eventually, Darryl and I would have to call off the ruse, and then I’m sure Sheriff Rivers would be knocking on my door two minutes later.”

Vivian slumped back into the bench. Alma was right. As much as she wanted a solution to present itself so easily, the tiniest bit of forethought revealed that the light at the end of the tunnel was still just a mirage. 

“I’ll just have to figure something else out. Or … figure out a way to survive life with the sheriff. It was a good thought, though.”

“It was a brilliant thought. There must be some way it could work …” Vivian said. Alma watched as her friend’s pupils shifted back and forth, searching her mind for the answer. She still wasn’t talked out of it, which meant that Alma still had work to do.

“Besides, I would rather die than admit that my parents were right about Darryl and myself. You don’t understand, Vivian. The teasing was merciless. For a few months, I thought the redness in my cheeks was permanent.”

“Oh, surely your ego can’t be so inflated that you couldn’t face a small amount of humiliation. Almost anything is worth avoiding marrying … that man.” 

“Almost anything, yes.” 

They sat in silence for a moment, each pondering the conundrum deeply, though Alma’s thoughts were suddenly filled with Darryl. Could she endure the smug looks from her mother and father if she did tell them she was in love with her best friend’s brother? Perhaps Vivian was right. Maybe it was a price worth paying. Time must have softened the sting somewhat, and she would have to do something drastic if she was going to find a way out of marrying Sheriff Rivers. 

“Still, it would only buy me a bit of time. It’s not a permanent solution,” Alma said out loud without realizing it. 

“Pretending to court Darryl? Yes, that’s just what I’m thinking through. Perhaps time is all you need after all …”

“What do you mean?”

Vivian’s eyes lit up again, and the fire in her reignited. “Time! That’s all you need! If pretending to love Darryl allows you to avoid marrying Sheriff Rivers, then you can take that time to apply to medical schools.” 

Alma shook her head. “I can’t just run away; otherwise, I would have done it already. Of course, I’d feel terrible about abandoning my family, but there’s also the issue of money. I can’t pay for school on my own, and I can’t afford to go make a home for myself somewhere else without the support of my father. Without a letter of support from him, it will be almost impossible to gain acceptance to a medical institution.”

Vivian was not dissuaded. “But it’s not impossible, is it? Surely you could get a letter from our old schoolmaster. It would help at least marginally. Besides, I’m sure any school for women in medical studies would understand your situation. Elizabeth Blackwell would sympathize, I’m sure.”

“There’s a chance I could beg my way in and explain my … extenuating circumstances. That doesn’t help with the issue of money, however.”

“Alma! Why are you being so resistant to this plan? Are you sure you don’t secretly want to marry Sheriff Rivers?”

She shuddered at the accusation. “Please, I can’t bear to hear his name said out loud again. No! I don’t want to marry him, and I do want to be a doctor! Forgive me for feeling just the slightest bit pessimistic about my situation. I’m not enamored that defrauding my parents might be the only way forward.”

“Desperate times call for desperate measures.”

“I agree, but I’m not going to move forward with an absurd plan if there’s an obvious problem waiting at the end. I can’t afford to go to school without help,” Alma stated again, hoping she would finally get through to her friend. 

Vivian’s father was a carpenter, as was her brother, Darryl. It was a respected vocation, certainly, but the Oakleys were far from the richest family in town. When they were children, Alma frequently felt guilty for how much more she had than Vivian did. She thought this would help Vivian understand her lack of independence, but she seemed more convinced than ever that her plan was sound.

“I know. Though highly intelligent, you seem to be forgetting about one key resource at your disposal.”

“What’s that?” Alma asked, searching her friend’s self-satisfied eyes for answers. Was there some rich benefactor she could call upon that she hadn’t yet considered?

“Scholarships! Aren’t there funds available for women in your position that you could take advantage of? If you can write to someone who might know about such matters, then you can use this time to apply. Or beg and plead, whichever works best.”

Alma blinked. It shocked her that she’d never thought of it herself. She didn’t know about any particular scholarships she might be able to enter the running for, as there wasn’t a single person, let alone a woman she knew in Bleak Hills who was applying for entrance to higher education. 

“Oh, right. I mean, I suppose so. Scholarships. Do you really think someone might just … give me the money?” she asked, doubting herself. She’d never been trained by any doctor besides her father. Would that really be enough to earn a scholarship? It was a long shot that she’d even get into a school and an even longer one that she would be seen as deserving enough to be awarded a bursary.

“There’s a chance! I don’t know anything about it, but I’m sure Mistress Cummings would know. At the very least, she’d know what direction to point you in. Do you see now how valuable just a bit of extra time could be? It could set you free, once and for all!”

Alma smiled tentatively. “Maybe. Maybe it could …”

“Then we’re agreed. We should go to my brother’s carpentry shop, tell him the plan, and decide what to do next. Then, you’ll tell your parents this new  … ‘truth that you and Darryl are in love, force your father to call off the engagement to Sheriff Rivers, then write to universities and research potential scholarships. Once you get into the school of your dreams and no longer have to worry about how to pay for it, then you and Darryl can part ways, and voila, all your dreams come true!”

“It feels … unrealistic.”

“It is! In every way! But you cannot move forward without at least a little bit of far-fetched optimism. Think of the unfounded confidence Sheriff Rivers has to think he deserves a wife of your caliber! That’s the kind of self-certainty you need.” 

“Faith. That is what I need more of.”

“Exactly! Miracles do come true. The Lord sees your struggles, and He’s pointing you toward this path that will lead to freedom. Trust your destiny, Alma, and do whatever it takes to make it come to pass!”

“Speaking of faith, I’m not sure the Lord would approve of this much deceit. I would have to lie to my parents, the sheriff, and the entire town!” Alma argued. Committing such a sin would weigh heavily on her soul.

Vivian bit her lip. “Yes, there would be some … untruthfulness involved, but you will be forgiven. The ends justify the means, right? Besides, I would argue that marrying Sheriff Rivers and therefore being forced to say that you love him when you don’t is the greater lie. Either way, some form of dishonesty will be required of you. This way, you’ll only be lying for a few months before you can finally start living with the full truth in your soul.”

If there was one thing Vivian was skilled at, it was inspiring others. That, gardening, and knowing the personal business of others. She could grow carrots in clay, recall the details of who said what about Mrs. Hannigan’s ghoulish-green bonnet ten years earlier, and talk a bully into carrying her books home from school. Perhaps she was being unfairly influenced by Vivian’s contagious tone, but Alma knew her friend would not lead her astray. She had her best interests at heart, and Alma needed help. 

“Trust my destiny. I can do that. Maybe. Alright.” She nodded, getting increasingly excited about the potentially disastrous plan. “Yes! I’d like to go through with it. It’s my only hope right now, and as you so aptly pointed out, time is not on my side. I don’t know when my father hopes to marry me off, but judging by how he spoke last night, I doubt he wants to delay for any reason.”

Vivian clasped her hands over Alma’s. “That’s exactly right. You won’t regret this, I promise. Even if it all ends in flames, at least you tried something. Come on! Let’s go see Darryl now. Time is of the essence!”

Fear struck Alma’s heart at the repeated mention of Darryl’s name. As she’d been whipped up into a frenzy over the promise of this scheme, she’d all but forgotten exactly who it required her to feign love with. Darryl Oakley. The same boy she’d kept her eyes on the ground for years to avoid. The same boy who she used to laugh afternoons away with before the yammering and teasing of everyone else eventually drove them apart.

It perhaps seemed silly when Alma really thought about the intense discomfort Darryl’s name brought up for her, but childhood wounds run deep, no matter how preposterous they might seem to an adult. Why did some so-called harmless mocking cut her so deeply that her heart still raced to think about it? Alma couldn’t explain it, but she knew the feeling in the pit of her stomach, and she didn’t like it. 

Still, facing the embarrassment of her past was a small price to pay for potentially avoiding Sheriff Rivers. If it afforded her the opportunity to attend medical school, then it was doubly worth it. 

“How is … Darryl these days? I hope he doesn’t have some other sweetheart that this might affect,” Alma said as they started the short walk to the Oakley carpentry shop, where Darryl and his father worked. 

Vivian rolled her eyes. “No, Darryl doesn’t have a sweetheart. You know I would have told you if he had. It would seem he’s never recovered from the heartbreak of losing you.”

A wave of all-too-familiar humiliation washed over Alma, bringing tears to her eyes that she choked down. It was bad enough that she couldn’t handle the teasing, but it would be even more embarrassing to admit just how much it got under her skin.

To her credit, Vivian immediately apologized for the blunder. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t joke like that. I know how much it disturbed you to have your friendship with Darryl continually misinterpreted as something more than it was. Believe me, I know. You two care for each other as friends, nothing more.”

The validation meant more to Alma than she was willing to admit. “That’s sweet of you to say, but if this is going to work, I will have to get used to the comments again.”

“Oh, you’ll have to endure worse than that. As soon as word gets out, everyone’s going to be full of ‘I told you so’s’ and other patronizing sappiness. Just keep your thoughts trained on the final goal. Freedom, and the Hippocratic Oath.”

Alma laughed, ignoring the flush creeping up her cheeks as they approached the carpentry shop. 

“That’s quite the mantra! I’ll repeat it to myself every night with my evening prayers,” Alma promised.

“And if there’s one other thing you can keep in your prayers …”

“Yes?” pressed Alma, intrigued by Vivian’s sudden turn to seriousness.

“Well, the thing is … I’ve grown quite fond of Stephen Rivers. Sheriff Rivers’ son.”

“I know who he is.” Alma nodded. “I just had no idea you two were even friendly!”

“Well, sometimes we chat at church and exchange seeds and gardening tips. He’s nothing like his father at all! He has none of the sheriff’s gruffness, though some of his outward charm and appearance.”

Knowing from experience that teasing could have unintended consequences, Alma held back from any kind of mocking, though she had to admit it was tempting. Instead, she aimed for full support.

“That’s wonderful! Of course, I’ll do what I can not to make an enemy of Stephen, regardless of what I think of his father. I look forward to … hearing more about your special relationship.”

“Oh, don’t say it like that! You sound like Pastor Timmins. It’s not a ‘special relationship’ yet; we’re just getting to know one another, and I find him extremely kind, thoughtful, intelligent, and playful. That’s all.”

“Right. That’s all. When you explain it like that, it doesn’t sound special at all.”

“Well, he does happen to be devastatingly handsome as well, but that’s neither here nor there.”

“That’s another matter altogether!”

The girls devolved into a fit of giggles as the barn door of the carpentry shop appeared in the distance. Inside, Darryl, the man potentially the key to unlocking Alma’s destiny, worked away, unaware of the storm that was about to hit.

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“Rescued by Love’s Medicine” is an Amazon Best-Selling novel, check it out here!

Alma, a driven young woman yearning to fulfill her dream of becoming a doctor, is trapped in the confines of an arranged marriage. Haunted by childhood memories of her parents teasing her with the idea of marrying her best friend’s brother, Darryl, Alma comes up with a daring plan. She strikes a deal with Darryl to feign a romantic relationship, hoping to convince her father to abandon his marriage arrangements and allow her to pursue her career unhindered.

Will this man prove to become a friend rather than a foe?

Darryl, the enigmatic and charismatic rebel, has always shared a complicated history with Alma. Their once harmonious friendship was shattered by years of embarrassment and conflict caused by their parents’ teasing. Despite the animosity that grew between them, Darryl recognizes an opportunity for redemption when Alma proposes the idea of a fake engagement. Eager to break free from the chains of his past and fueled by an unspoken attraction towards Alma, he agrees to the charade.

Will this decision reveal the emotions he has hidden so well for years?

In a tangled web of lies, Alma and Darryl find solace and strength in each other, slowly dismantling the walls they had erected to protect their hearts until their romance becomes a battleground. Will Alma and Darryl confront their painful past and overcome the obstacles in their path, discovering that true love can emerge from the most unexpected beginnings?

“Rescued by Love’s Medicine” is a historical romance novel of approximately 80,000 words. No cheating, no cliffhangers, and a guaranteed happily ever after.

Get your copy from Amazon!