the barn fire for God knew what reason.
Catherine giggled in her sleep. Her red cheeks dimpled, chasing whatever happy dream she’d found. Maybe that’s what he needed. He needed to start living again, find the dreams that used to bring a smile to his face. But there was only one problem. He didn’t know where to start.
“There you are. I thought you’d gone downstairs.” Sally’s voice whispered across the room. She stood in the doorway, an empty mug in her hand. “Mom got through to the hospital. They said we’re doing all the right things. If anything changes we have to give them a ring straight away.”
“That’s good.”
“Is your back sore?”
“No. I’m just…I’m thinking about things.”
She walked over to the cot, wrapping her arm around his waist. They both gazed down at Catherine. “Amy will be alright, Nathan. And so will you, as soon as you get out of those wet jeans. I’ll stay upstairs while you change.”
“Are you heading back to your apartment tomorrow?”
“You really want to get rid of me don’t you?” She grinned. “If I can get through the mess on the highway I will. Otherwise you’ll have to put up with me for another day.”
He put his arm around his sister’s shoulder. “Better hope the roads are clear then.”
Sally pinched him.
“Ow.”
“Ssh, you’ll wake the baby. Be careful who you mess with,” she laughed. “I know all your soft spots.”
As Nathan glanced down at Catherine, his mind focused on her older sister sleeping in the next room. Sally didn’t know his biggest soft spot. He’d just discovered that himself. “I’ll be back in a few minutes. No more pinching.”
Amy felt like she’d been buried in the dessert. No matter which way she turned she couldn’t get away from the furnace surrounding her. She kicked a heavy weight off her legs, using her arms to push away from the heat and find something cold.
“No you don’t. You’ve got to keep these blankets on.”
Her eyes flew open. It was dark. No light. Panic roared through her body. She opened her mouth and screamed, scratching at the weight lying beside her.
“What the hell?”
A hand clamped over her mouth. She bit down hard. Pushing. Struggling. Crying.
He yelled, roaring through the blackness. Something heavy landed on top of her, pressing into her body, pinning her to the bed. She couldn’t move, couldn’t run.
“What happened?”
A woman’s voice. Her mom? No. Not her mom. A light blinded her. She tried to move her arm, cover her eyes, but her body felt too heavy. Too wrong.
“Amy, wake up. It’s Sally. You’re safe.”
She caught her breath. Sally? What was Sally doing in their trailer? The heavy weight rolled off her body, but she still couldn’t move.
“Is everything alright in here?”
Another voice, more feet thumping toward her. She opened her eyes, then shut them. She squinted into the room, staring at pink walls and frilly curtains. She wasn’t in her mom’s trailer. She wasn’t in her bedroom.
She frowned at Sally, standing over her with a worried look on her face. Nathan sat on the edge of her bed with his back to her. Jenny and Paul hovered just inside the room. Then she remembered the flat tire, getting soaked to the skin. Feeling like she might have made a big mistake.
She tried to swallow, but her throat felt raw. Oh God. She’d just made an even bigger mistake. “N-Nathan?”
“I’m fine.”
His muffled voice made her feel sick to her stomach.
“What’s going on in here? I thought someone had been murdered.” Sean stood in the doorway, scratching his sleep-tousled head. He frowned at Nathan. “What’s wrong with your…” He looked at Amy. “I’ll get an icepack.”
Jenny walked across to Nathan, holding his hand gently in hers. “You’ll need a bandage. I’ll be back in a minute.”
Amy gazed around the room. She’d made a fool of herself. But more than that, she’d hurt Nathan. Her
Catherine giggled in her sleep. Her red cheeks dimpled, chasing whatever happy dream she’d found. Maybe that’s what he needed. He needed to start living again, find the dreams that used to bring a smile to his face. But there was only one problem. He didn’t know where to start.
“There you are. I thought you’d gone downstairs.” Sally’s voice whispered across the room. She stood in the doorway, an empty mug in her hand. “Mom got through to the hospital. They said we’re doing all the right things. If anything changes we have to give them a ring straight away.”
“That’s good.”
“Is your back sore?”
“No. I’m just…I’m thinking about things.”
She walked over to the cot, wrapping her arm around his waist. They both gazed down at Catherine. “Amy will be alright, Nathan. And so will you, as soon as you get out of those wet jeans. I’ll stay upstairs while you change.”
“Are you heading back to your apartment tomorrow?”
“You really want to get rid of me don’t you?” She grinned. “If I can get through the mess on the highway I will. Otherwise you’ll have to put up with me for another day.”
He put his arm around his sister’s shoulder. “Better hope the roads are clear then.”
Sally pinched him.
“Ow.”
“Ssh, you’ll wake the baby. Be careful who you mess with,” she laughed. “I know all your soft spots.”
As Nathan glanced down at Catherine, his mind focused on her older sister sleeping in the next room. Sally didn’t know his biggest soft spot. He’d just discovered that himself. “I’ll be back in a few minutes. No more pinching.”
Amy felt like she’d been buried in the dessert. No matter which way she turned she couldn’t get away from the furnace surrounding her. She kicked a heavy weight off her legs, using her arms to push away from the heat and find something cold.
“No you don’t. You’ve got to keep these blankets on.”
Her eyes flew open. It was dark. No light. Panic roared through her body. She opened her mouth and screamed, scratching at the weight lying beside her.
“What the hell?”
A hand clamped over her mouth. She bit down hard. Pushing. Struggling. Crying.
He yelled, roaring through the blackness. Something heavy landed on top of her, pressing into her body, pinning her to the bed. She couldn’t move, couldn’t run.
“What happened?”
A woman’s voice. Her mom? No. Not her mom. A light blinded her. She tried to move her arm, cover her eyes, but her body felt too heavy. Too wrong.
“Amy, wake up. It’s Sally. You’re safe.”
She caught her breath. Sally? What was Sally doing in their trailer? The heavy weight rolled off her body, but she still couldn’t move.
“Is everything alright in here?”
Another voice, more feet thumping toward her. She opened her eyes, then shut them. She squinted into the room, staring at pink walls and frilly curtains. She wasn’t in her mom’s trailer. She wasn’t in her bedroom.
She frowned at Sally, standing over her with a worried look on her face. Nathan sat on the edge of her bed with his back to her. Jenny and Paul hovered just inside the room. Then she remembered the flat tire, getting soaked to the skin. Feeling like she might have made a big mistake.
She tried to swallow, but her throat felt raw. Oh God. She’d just made an even bigger mistake. “N-Nathan?”
“I’m fine.”
His muffled voice made her feel sick to her stomach.
“What’s going on in here? I thought someone had been murdered.” Sean stood in the doorway, scratching his sleep-tousled head. He frowned at Nathan. “What’s wrong with your…” He looked at Amy. “I’ll get an icepack.”
Jenny walked across to Nathan, holding his hand gently in hers. “You’ll need a bandage. I’ll be back in a minute.”
Amy gazed around the room. She’d made a fool of herself. But more than that, she’d hurt Nathan. Her
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