Saving Grace

Chapter 35

Grace's shriek pierced his unconsciousness, shoving him roughly into reality. He blinked, afraid to move. Afraid if he did, he might hurt her.

"I knew we couldn't trust you!" Grace raged as she fumbled with her nightgown.

Joe turned away, trying to give her some privacy.

Sarah burst through the curtain, her eyes wide.

Levi followed on her heels, pulling his suspenders over his shoulders. "Told ya," he mouthed.

Joe smothered a grin. "Are you decent?"

"What? What's that supposed to mean?"

"Are you dressed?"

Levi nodded at him.

"Yes, I'm dressed. Not that it'd matter. You took advantage of me."

Joe turned back to face her, shaking his head. "No. I took the stitches out of your arm and leg. Then Levi and I gave you a bath. You thought I was Jeremy and begged me not to leave."

"You took advantage of the fact that I thought you to be someone else."

Joe threw back the blankets and stood. "No. As you can see, I'm dressed." The pants slumped lower on his hips.

Grace gasped.

Joe blushed and grabbed for them. He stepped past her and grabbed his clothes from the back of the chair, stepping around the still-full washtub. "I'll go change. Then we can talk." He stepped past Levi into the bedroom.

"It'll blow over."

"Guess who's sleepin' in the barn?"

Levi chortled as he moved to the fire.

"Levi, you knew about this?"

"Yeah. He's been sleepin' next to you for weeks. Next to both you and Sarah. I didn't see any reason to not trust him."

Joe couldn't make out what Grace said, it was only angry muttering.

"Look. You weren't awake enough or aware enough to help us get you dressed. We wrapped you in a blanket."

Grace muttered something.

"He rigged something up. You were covered the whole time. Neither one of us saw anything. He was gonna sleep in the chair or on the floor until you asked him to stay."

Joe stepped out into the room. Grace had collapsed into a chair facing the fire. Sarah huddled in the corner, rocking herself back and forth. Levi sat on the hearth.

"You asked Jeremy to stay. Joe's the type of man that'll give you hope even when there isn't anything to hope for. He can build miracles from literally nothing."

Joe's jaw dropped. His eyes fell on the bible on the floor. He picked it up and dusted it off. Walking across the room, he knelt in front of Sarah. "Honey, you dropped this."

Her arms flew around his neck. "Please don't leave."

He sat on the floor, pulling her onto his lap. "I'm not leaving."

She sniffed. "Really?"

"Really. Do you wanna read for a while?"

She nodded, pressing herself against his side, refusing to let go.

Joe thumbed through the bible and started to read. Sarah's sniffles ceased as her breathing evened out. Joe pulled the blanket over her shoulders as she slumped across his lap. He looked up and met Grace's gaze. "Are you ready to talk?"

"That wasn't fair."

"What? Calming your sister down or reading the bible?"

"Both."

Joe raised his eyebrows. "She's scared, insecure. She wants stability." He shook his head. "She doesn't know if she can get that anymore. Her parents are gone. All she has left is you and Levi."

"Why does she run to you then?"

"She'd have done the same to you if you'd give her a chance. You all think she can't do things. She can. She's smart. She just learns different." He held up the book. "The one constant she has is this book. I don't like reading it. I don't believe the same as she does. As you do. But I do know what it's like to feel alone. It's not fun. If I can take that feeling away for even a moment, I'm gonna do it."

Grace shifted in her seat, then looked down at her hands.

"I know you must hate me. You probably think the worst of me. And that's fine. I've never taken advantage of you. I've never taken advantage of your sister. I never will."

"What about on the trail when you wouldn't let them dress me?"

"It was purely for medical reasons. If we'd have put a nightgown on you, I'd have had to jostle you around to take it on and off. With wounds like yours, the less movement, the better."

"Why don't I remember any of it?"

"It's the medicine I gave you. It puts you into a sort of trance. It takes away the pain. For you, it was probably stronger because you're not used to modern medicine."

Sarah stirred in his lap, moving to get more comfortable. He shifted out from underneath her and wrapped the blanket around her. "I'm going out to feed the stock and check the traps. I'll be back later."

"Need help?"

"Nah. Stay warm. That storm is blowing in. I'll need your help later. We'll be stretching a rope between the house and the outbuildings so we don't get lost during the storm."

"So you want me to find enough rope?"

"Exactly. Somewhere in those piles there should be something. We may even haul in some lumber to finish up the loft."

Joe strapped his rifle across his back. "I'll be back soon."