“Just wanna s-sleep,” she slurred, sounding near tears as she burrowed under the warmth the blanket provided.
Will closed his eyes, agonizing over the wounded note in her voice. “I know, love,” he whispered, throat constricting. Reaching blindly for her hand, he realized how cold she still was when he found it. How long now? Perhaps three minutes? Even in his exhausted state, he felt so anxious to be moving that it was all he could do to remain seated.
Folding his arms tight about her frame, he felt her shoulder press harder against his chest and became aware of how small and fragile she felt in his arms. And though the constant shivering had lessened some, sporadic, uncontrollable tremors shook her body. Each time it happened, he grimaced, mentally counting off the remaining seconds until he could take her inside. The wait was unbearable.
“You’re strong,” he whispered to her, needing to hear the words aloud himself.
When he felt they had waited long enough, Will pulled the blanket from about his shoulders, doing a balancing act so he could wrap it around her to stave off the cold air outside. He shifted her body in his arms and rose on shaky legs, cradling her against his chest. Once outside in the frosted air, he didn’t bother closing the door behind them but made his way directly to the house.
Dusk had quickly turned into a cold night. He focused his mind on the thought of a warm fire and a roof and not on the steady chattering of his teeth or the fact that Sarah’s shivering once again persisted.
The snow was deeper out here, away from town where people plowed and shoveled the streets to make for easier navigation. Will’s aching legs sank deeply into one particularly large mound, and it took most of his strength to pull himself free without toppling over. He tried to angle his body so that his back blocked most of the wind, but he knew that even with the added warmth of the blanket, his slow progress through the snow wasn’t helping Sarah’s condition.
The front door slammed closed, and Seth bounded off the small porch, taking off toward them at a clipped pace. His expression belied his shock over finding both of them in this state, and Will gritted his teeth, struggling to stay upright.
Seth stopped at his side, reaching for Sarah. “Let me take—”
“I have her,” Will barked, then immediately regretted it when Seth blinked in surprise. He was exhausted, cold to the bone, and fighting feelings of incompetence, but that was no reason to snap at his old friend. “Seth, I’m sorry.”
He shook his head, and Will could tell that he had already dismissed the offense. With a wary glance at the distance between them and the house, he felt his tired body sag. Knowing he was wasting precious seconds in indecision, Will stuffed his pride and shifted his bundle, wincing at the cramp in his shoulder. The instant Sarah was out of his arms he missed her warmth, but Seth was practically jogging back to his home, making better time than he would have, and Will struggled to take up the rear.
A small woman was standing in the doorway, worrying a towel between her hands. It had been years since Will had seen Seth’s mother, and he was sorry that it was under such upsetting circumstances that they should meet again.
“Hurry, darling, hurry!” Ruth Jones urged her son, flapping her towel in the air before running inside and leaving the door open for them.
The two shadowed forms disappeared inside, and a few moments later, Will lurched in after them. He barely maintained his balance when he forced his body to cease movement. Someone closed the door behind him, but he couldn’t have said who.
The house was already in chaos, the main room packed to capacity. He barely recognized Joshua, as the boy had matured considerably in the years it took to move into adulthood. He stood at the base of the stairs with his hands planted firmly on his sister’s shoulders, holding her back. Leah had grown several inches since he’d last seen her, and her face looked more like that of a young woman and not the freckle-faced child Will had known last. Or perhaps it was the grim, tight-lipped expressions they both wore that matured their faces.
Seth stood to the side against the wall with his father, but Karen and Ruth had immediately set to work, placing their charge on the floor as near to the fire as they dared, and went about chaffing her skin with warm towels. The younger woman was rubbing Sarah’s hair dry, and Ruth held her quaking feet over a bowl of steaming water, pouring small handfuls of the warm liquid over her skin to acclimate her before she submerged her feet completely. Sarah hissed in surprise, and the older woman shushed her gently, whispering soothing words that only the three women could hear.
Will heard someone come up beside him, but he refused to avert his gaze. A thick quilt was placed about his shoulders, and a hand remained behind after it was settled. “Relax, they’ve got her now.”
Will realized that he was clenching his fists at his sides and tried to release the tension in his shoulders.
“You look ready to drop,” Seth observed. “Why don’t you get some rest?”
A quick headshake was the only response he received. Will blinked, trying to keep his eyes open. If he sat down now, he wasn’t sure he would be able to get back up ever again.
A moment of silence. “I understand,” Seth said, so quietly it was almost a whisper. Will’s attention snapped to him, but the other man was watching the women with the same tight-lipped expression of concern that Will felt on his own face. His heart sank, seeing in his old friend’s features the look of worry that only came with deep love.
“I left the door open,” Will said, suddenly remembering. Should he go back to the barn? His legs quaked, protesting the very thought of movement.
“Got it.” Seth clapped him on the shoulder in the familiar way he used to do when they were friends.
With Seth gone, his father seemed to think it was a good idea to give the women room to work. “All right, you two. Time to move out.” The large man folded his arms across his chest and hiked his chin up the stairs. Both children looked upset to be left out, but little Leah looked crestfallen.
She broke away from her brother and crouched beside Sarah, throwing her arms around her. “Get better,” Will heard her say. He felt his throat close and blinked rapidly. It took several soft words from her mother before Leah broke away. Sarah managed to give her a wobbly smile. “I’m too stubborn not to,” she assured, voice weak. Will caught the tears Leah quickly wiped from her cheeks before she joined her brother again.
The middle of the Joneses’ herd smiled encouragingly at Sarah when her glazed eyes met his gaze. “You’ll be all right.” Josh sounded so much like his brother when he said it, though Seth would have been more convincing about it. With a tug on her arm, he managed to get Leah moving, and she gave Sarah a half-hearted wave before she disappeared upstairs after her brother.
Samuel Jones leaned down to say something to his wife, and she nodded. He came and joined Will. “You know as well as we do that she’s a fighter.” He gave him a pat on the shoulder. “And she’s in good hands.”
Will tensed when the older man wrapped his arms around him in a quick, fatherly embrace, and the band around his chest tightened as he remembered what it felt like to be part of this family.
Samuel clapped him on the back and released him, grinning with a fondness that Will thought would have faded through the years. “Don’t be a stranger this time, son.”
“I won’t,” he barely managed.
The head of the Jones house moved to the stairs, appearing completely at ease and at peace. But Will caught the way his eyes tightened in concern and compassion when his gaze flickered to Sarah.
It took a few more minutes of pained silence before Seth came back, rubbing a hand over his head to dispel the melting flakes. “It’s snowing again,” he said, cupping his hands over his mouth and blowing to warm them.
He came to stand with Will again, and it was silent for a minute before he commented, “Karen told Mother what happened, but I didn’t catch all of it. You both fell into the lake by the west rise?”
Will released a gusty
breath, raking both shaking hands back through his hair. “Just her. She went out onto the ice without realizing it, and by the time she did, it was too late.” He couldn’t contain his cringe at the memory.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Seth shake his head in disbelief. “But how’d you get so wet?” Will remained silent. “You went in after her, didn’t you?”
He risked a glance at the other man. Seth started to grin slowly, that lopsided smile he remembered from boyhood. He nudged Will. “So when did you become a hero? Did I miss something?”
“It was the only thing I could do,” Will murmured, feeling slightly embarrassed at the gentle tease, though he hadn’t realized how much he had missed the easy camaraderie between he and Seth, even if his jesting was simply to cheer Will up.
“But, honestly,” Seth added, losing his teasing edge. “You must be freezing, as well. And Karen said that you carried her all the way out here. If you don’t sit down and get warm soon, you’ll have Sarah worried when she realizes that she’s the reason your stubborn hide caught its death.”
Will’s first instinct was to glare, but that desire quickly faded when he saw his old friend watching him with concern. He nodded reluctantly, tensing as he walked across the room to the far wall, trying to keep from stumbling. He noticed that Seth shadowed him—presumably to make sure he did not fall.
With a grimace, Will braced his back against the wall nearest the fire, sliding down until he was on the floor. He stretched his legs out, feeling his quivering muscles slowly settle until his whole body slumped in complete exhaustion. It had sapped the last of his strength to keep up with Seth on their way to the house, and sheer worry and adrenaline had been keeping him upright before. Now all of that faded, leaving his body drained and sagging against the wall for support. Sarah had her back to him as the two women continued to work warmth into her body, but it looked like her shaking had lessened.
Seth sat down next to him. He hiked one knee up to prop his elbow on and shot him a crooked grin. “You look like death warmed over.”
“Thanks,” Will muttered good-naturedly. The blanket dipped on his shoulder, and he tried to lift one of his hands to right it and found that it took too much effort to manage such a small task. “I can’t make a fist.”
Seth looked surprised, and then he actually chuckled when he saw Will’s twitching fingers. He jerked the blanket back into place with a grin. “You’ve had quite the day.” At that, they both turned their heads to watch the patient with her nurses in silence.
Ruth Jones moved to warm the bowl of water again. Though they were only four feet away, neither man was included in their small, huddled group.
Yet Seth remained at Will’s side.
His heart warmed at the reminder of the friendship he’d once had, and Will closed his eyes against the exhausted burn behind his eyes, allowing his head to fall back.
“I’ve missed this,” Seth said quietly in that thoughtful, straightforward way of his. Will’s head lolled to the side to stare at him.
“What?”
“Our friendship. We fell apart for reasons neither of us can recall. It’s foolishness to keep pretending that we can’t rectify what was broken.”
Will sighed. “I was thinking the same thing.”
“So shall we forget the past and be friends? Or at the very least amiable acquaintances?” Seth was grinning easily, but it was obviously important to him.
“Friends it is.” Seth’s grin spread at his response, and Will settled his head against the wall, closing his eyes. He was surprised at the smile he felt pulling the corner of his mouth as he murmured, “But I remember why we parted ways.”
“Really?” Seth sounded surprised.
“You smell like a goat,” he muttered on a yawn. Seth’s silent chuckle shook the wall at his back.
Will was half asleep by the time the young redhead crouched down before them. Her furrowed brow had left a crease above her nose. “The extra mattress upstairs, can you fetch it?” she asked Seth. “It will be easy to keep by the fire, and I want to get her settled before I head out for the night.”
“There’s no way you’re going back out there.” Will’s lids opened a little wider at the spark in Seth’s voice. He looked unflinching, narrowing his eyes a little at Karen. Will wondered at the exchange, and then he realized that he was peering into a looking glass, glimpsing his own protective response to Sarah. Ahh, he thought in comprehension.
Karen’s emerald eyes narrowed to slits, defiant, but Seth’s gaze remained steady. She sighed. “Fine, I’ll stay with Leah tonight. But Sarah gets the mattress,” she said, jabbing a finger into his chest. He looked pleased to have won and gladly hopped to his feet, taking the stairs two at a time. She watched him go, shaking her head.
Karen’s lips were pinched when she turned, but she nodded reassuringly. “She’s fine,” she whispered. “I figured since you both need to keep warm right now, we could leave her with you by the fire. Your body heat’s better than anything right now, and then you can put her on the bed when she falls asleep. Just keep her awake for a little longer to be safe, if you can.” She eyed his drooping lids and bit her lip. “Or maybe I should—”
Shifting positions so he was sitting upright, Will shook his head, blinking the sand from his eyes. “I’m exhausted, but my brain isn’t quite ready to let me sleep. I can keep us both awake, you needn’t worry.” He winced at the slur in his last words.
Karen hesitated, then nodded slowly. “If either of you needs anything, I’ll be in the second door on the right. Seth’s room is the one across the hall.”
He nodded, trying to focus his fuzzy head. But she didn’t move. Biting her lip, she whispered, “On her back, there are a few fresh scars, small ones—was that during the fire?”
Will inhaled sharply, having nearly forgotten the gashes that had covered her back, the same ones he had cleaned and tended to for days as he wondered if she would pull through. When he had seen the full extent of Allan’s work, he had never hated a man so much. Except, of course, for Gabriel Dunlivey.
Nodding, he answered in a strained voice, “When he dragged her through the forest.”
Karen grimaced, clearly troubled by his answer. “Oh.” She started to rise, and he caught her hand quickly in his own.
“I-I wanted to say thank you. For all you did tonight.”
Her smile was genuine. “You’re the one who got her here.” Expression softening, she cocked her head, studying him for a moment before stating, “I guess we were both trying to take care of the girl we love.”
~Chapter 41~
Karen slipped out of his grasp, since he was too startled at his transparency to release it himself. Pleased with her discernment, she skipped lightly across the room to take over for Mrs. Jones. Karen plopped down beside Sarah and wrapped an arm around her waist. The two friends leaned on each other, speaking in hushed tones. Sarah even released a choked laugh at one point, and some of the tension left Will’s body.
He felt a presence nearby and focused his weary gaze on a smiling Ruth Jones. He struggled to rise, and she waved him back with a rapid swat of her hand. “Don’t bother with that, dear. I know you must be exhausted, but I simply wanted to say that it’s a delight to see your face back in our home.”
Will swallowed, remembering that with this family, it had never been a house but always a home—even for him. “Thank you.”
The bouncy, middle-aged woman leaned down to plant a motherly kiss on both his flaming cheeks. Then she flitted off, kissing the tops of each young woman’s head before moving out of the room to join her husband upstairs.
Will caught Karen’s expression of pretend shock, and she angled her body so he could catch Sarah’s grin. The redhead’s gasp was delayed until Mrs. Jones was out of earshot. “You move on fast,” she said in a stage whisper, then huffed. “Holiday’s are going to be a little awkward between the fam now.”
Gaping at her in surprise, he only heard Sarah’s soft snort. But
his shock quickly faded, and Will felt a grin of his own twitch his lips. He didn’t envy Seth the handful he would have in this quick-witted woman, but he had a feeling that his friend was up to the challenge.
His grin spread. And Karen had no idea how mule-headed Seth could be when he set his mind to it. But he was also one of the kindest men Will had ever known, and he doubted that her opinion would be any different.
Will turned his gaze to find Karen stroking Sarah’s hair, speaking soothingly to her. Yes, the gentle-giant and this fiery-sweet redhead would make quite the pair.
Karen was helping her charge to her feet. “You know,” she grunted, “it’s hard carrying tall people, and it doesn’t help that you’re built in all the right places, either.” Sarah rolled her eyes, smiling groggily. Will couldn’t help envisioning how her soft curves had filled out her gown at the masque rather nicely, and he ducked his head to hide a grin. He would be the last to complain, he could guarantee it.
When he collected himself and glanced up, Karen was shooting him a look that let him know he’d been caught. “Nothing to add, Will?” she asked innocently, though her eyes glinted with devilish amusement. She saved him the trouble of fabricating a reason for his sudden mirth. “Can you scooch closer to the fire?”
Too achy to stand, he scooted along the floor, and she lowered Sarah next to him on the side closest to the flames. Gently snatching the blanket away from her, Karen said lowly to Will, “Keep your blanket wrapped around the both of you—like I said before, your body warmth is better than the extra layers. And then when she falls asleep, wrap her up in this.” She hesitated, then grinned as if something had just occurred to her. “Still not deaf, Sarah?”
“Nope,” she muttered softly, smiling to herself with her eyes closed.
“Sorry. Didn’t mean to talk over you.”
Will inched closer, feeling awkward with Karen watching his every move. Then he hesitantly wrapped his arm around Sarah, drawing her against his side. She was hardly shivering now, and he tucked her securely under his arm, wrapping the blanket around the both of them.
Chasing Shadows Page 46
