The Heart Remembers Read Online Free

how good you are.”
    Tim blushed. “Well, I’m glad they feel that way.”
    As the nurses walked away, Tim’s attention was drawn to one of the hospital’s orderlies, who was waving a yellow envelope while hurrying up the hall toward him.
    Tim moved in that direction, and as the orderly drew up, he said, “Dr. Braden, this telegram just came in for you down at the receptionist’s desk, and Rosie O’Brien said I should run it up toyou, since the Western Union agent said it was very important.”
    “Thanks, Bernie.” Tim stepped into a shallow alcove out of the way of people moving up and down the hall, and opened the envelope.
    As his eyes fell on the printed words, his throat went dry. His breath was coming in gasps as he stared at the telegram, his mouth working silently.
    Dr. Matt Carroll—having spent a little longer in the surgical washroom—came up behind him, stepped around in front of him, and with a frown, asked, “Dr. Braden, are you all right?”
    “Dr. Carroll! I just got this telegram from Dr. Dane Logan in Central City, and—and—”
    “Yes?”
    “Melin—Melinda is alive! Dr. Logan found her in a Ute village being held as a captive. He has her at his home right now! She’s alive! She’s alive!”
    By this time, other hospital doctors, nurses, and employees were collecting at the spot. All of them, of course, were aware that Dr. Tim Braden’s fiancée had presumably drowned in the South Platte River, though her body had never been found. Tim’s loud words of elation had them all rejoicing, and he had to repeat the message of the telegram over and over as new people gathered.
    Wiping tears, Tim said, “Dr. Carroll, I need to go to Melinda’s parents. In the telegram, Dr. Logan said he had wired them, too. I need to be with them.”
    “Sure,” said Carroll. “You go ahead. I’m sure all three of you will be heading for Central City tomorrow morning.”
    “Without a doubt, sir!”
    “Keep me posted, okay?”
    “Sure will, sir,” said Tim, and hurried down the hall. Seconds later, he ran past the receptionist’s desk in the lobby, telling her that Melinda was alive, and bolted out the door.
    Rosie O’Brien smiled and started to call out her joy at thenews to him, but he was through the door before she could do so.
    As Tim ran toward his horse and buggy, he spotted a buggy pulling into the lot. In the buggy were George and Hattie Kenyon, Melinda’s adoptive parents. Their faces were bright with elation as George waved a yellow envelope at him.
    It was just after four o’clock in Central City as Tharyn Logan was sitting at her desk, trying to keep the remaining three patients calm while waiting for her husband to return. The rest of them had gone home, saying they would return tomorrow morning. One middle-aged woman was complaining about the pain she was experiencing from a broken bone in her right hand. Tharyn’s attention was drawn to the large window as she saw Dane ride up to the hitch rail outside.
    She jumped out of her chair and cried, “He’s here! It’s okay, folks. He’s here!” With that, she bolted out the door to meet him.
    Dane was on the ground, lifting his medical bag from the pommel of the saddle when he saw the young woman with the long auburn hair dashing across the boardwalk. He smiled as she threw her arms around him.
    Holding him tight, Tharyn asked, “Honey, were there complications in Sherrie’s giving birth to her baby?”
    “No complications,” he breathed into her ear. “Sherrie and her baby boy are doing just fine.”
    Tharyn eased back and set her quizzical blue eyes on him.
    “But, honey, I expected you back long before now. Most of the patients gave up and left for home, saying they would be back tomorrow morning. We’ve still got three in there who very much need your attention. What kept you?”
    “Well, for now let me say that what kept me longer than expected was that a band of Utes came onto the Drummond ranch while I was there, and