body shook. She could still feel his body pushing her into the mattress, his hand heavy against her face. Acid rose in her throat as she remembered another man, another night, terrifying her beyond anything she’d ever known.
Her gaze settled on Paul, standing quietly in the room. His kind eyes calmed her, reminded her that she was safe. All through her teenage years, Nathan’s dad had shown her that good men still existed. He had been gentle and patient, not making a big deal out of her odd behavior. But sometimes the past came back uninvited, leaving a deeper mark with each visit.
Sean returned with his mom.
Jenny sat beside Nathan and unrolled a bandage. “I’ll get your hand wrapped up and then you can put the icepack on it.”
“Take these.” Sean passed Nathan a couple of pills. He swallowed them whole without an ounce of water.
Amy tried to reach out, to apologize, but her body wouldn’t cooperate.
“It’s okay,” Sally sighed. “You got a fright when you woke up, that’s all. Are you alright now?”
She nodded. God knew she didn’t deserve to be okay. Not after nearly biting through Nathan’s hand or waking the whole house up with her screams.
“Do you want me to stay with you?” Sally pulled the blankets around her shoulders.
Too hot, much too hot. She shook her head.
Sally kissed her cheek. “I’ll leave the light on in the hallway. Goodnight.”
“All bandaged up.” Jenny stood up and gazed down at Nathan. “Do you want me to stay with Amy?”
He glanced over his shoulder. His blue eyes were deep and unreadable, searching for something in Amy’s face. She stared at him, hoping he wouldn’t leave.
“I’ll stay, mom. You go back to bed.” A tight smile pulled at his face. “One of us will yell if we need help.”
Jenny frowned. “Take care. Both of you. Come on Sean, no one’s been killed so you can go back to bed.”
“I can’t believe Matthew slept through all the action. That guy wouldn’t wake up if the house fell down around him,” he grumbled.
Paul gave his son a gentle push toward the door. “Out, and don’t even think about waking him up. Matthew wasn’t the only one to stay asleep. It looks as though Catherine inherited the same genes.”
Amy’s heart lurched in her chest. She’d forgotten about her sister. She tried to get out of bed to check on Catherine, but her body felt like it had forgotten how to move.
Nathan moved across the room. “Stay here, I’ll go and check on her.” He looked exhausted. Black rings wrapped themselves under both his eyes and blonde stubble shadowed his jaw. But the frown on his face worried her the most.
He disappeared out of Sally’s room, reappearing a few seconds later. “Catherine’s fine. She’s snoring like a seasoned pro.”
Amy nodded. “Thanks.”
“Is there anything you need?”
“W-water.”
He sat beside her, holding a cup up to her lips. “Take a small sip.”
Water dribbled down her chin. She lifted her hand, only Nathan managed to catch the water first. Her arm felt like a lead weight attached to a fishing line. “I’m sorry.”
He raised his eyebrows.
“Your hand.”
Nathan glanced down at the dressing. “It’s nothing.”
Silence filled the room, heavier and more suffocating than the blankets wrapped around her body.
“What the hell were you doing driving through a storm? You should have stayed at the Andersons not driven back to the ranch.” His voice sounded as rough as the weather pounding the windows.
“It wasn’t so bad when I left.” She took a deep breath, pushing at the blankets on top of her. Nathan pulled them back up. “I’m too hot.”
“You’re still cold. And I wouldn’t push those blankets down if I were you.”
“Why not?”
“You’re as naked as the day you were born, so unless you want to give mom something to yell about you’d better stay still.”
Amy concentrated on the feel of the sheets against her skin.
Her gaze settled on Paul, standing quietly in the room. His kind eyes calmed her, reminded her that she was safe. All through her teenage years, Nathan’s dad had shown her that good men still existed. He had been gentle and patient, not making a big deal out of her odd behavior. But sometimes the past came back uninvited, leaving a deeper mark with each visit.
Sean returned with his mom.
Jenny sat beside Nathan and unrolled a bandage. “I’ll get your hand wrapped up and then you can put the icepack on it.”
“Take these.” Sean passed Nathan a couple of pills. He swallowed them whole without an ounce of water.
Amy tried to reach out, to apologize, but her body wouldn’t cooperate.
“It’s okay,” Sally sighed. “You got a fright when you woke up, that’s all. Are you alright now?”
She nodded. God knew she didn’t deserve to be okay. Not after nearly biting through Nathan’s hand or waking the whole house up with her screams.
“Do you want me to stay with you?” Sally pulled the blankets around her shoulders.
Too hot, much too hot. She shook her head.
Sally kissed her cheek. “I’ll leave the light on in the hallway. Goodnight.”
“All bandaged up.” Jenny stood up and gazed down at Nathan. “Do you want me to stay with Amy?”
He glanced over his shoulder. His blue eyes were deep and unreadable, searching for something in Amy’s face. She stared at him, hoping he wouldn’t leave.
“I’ll stay, mom. You go back to bed.” A tight smile pulled at his face. “One of us will yell if we need help.”
Jenny frowned. “Take care. Both of you. Come on Sean, no one’s been killed so you can go back to bed.”
“I can’t believe Matthew slept through all the action. That guy wouldn’t wake up if the house fell down around him,” he grumbled.
Paul gave his son a gentle push toward the door. “Out, and don’t even think about waking him up. Matthew wasn’t the only one to stay asleep. It looks as though Catherine inherited the same genes.”
Amy’s heart lurched in her chest. She’d forgotten about her sister. She tried to get out of bed to check on Catherine, but her body felt like it had forgotten how to move.
Nathan moved across the room. “Stay here, I’ll go and check on her.” He looked exhausted. Black rings wrapped themselves under both his eyes and blonde stubble shadowed his jaw. But the frown on his face worried her the most.
He disappeared out of Sally’s room, reappearing a few seconds later. “Catherine’s fine. She’s snoring like a seasoned pro.”
Amy nodded. “Thanks.”
“Is there anything you need?”
“W-water.”
He sat beside her, holding a cup up to her lips. “Take a small sip.”
Water dribbled down her chin. She lifted her hand, only Nathan managed to catch the water first. Her arm felt like a lead weight attached to a fishing line. “I’m sorry.”
He raised his eyebrows.
“Your hand.”
Nathan glanced down at the dressing. “It’s nothing.”
Silence filled the room, heavier and more suffocating than the blankets wrapped around her body.
“What the hell were you doing driving through a storm? You should have stayed at the Andersons not driven back to the ranch.” His voice sounded as rough as the weather pounding the windows.
“It wasn’t so bad when I left.” She took a deep breath, pushing at the blankets on top of her. Nathan pulled them back up. “I’m too hot.”
“You’re still cold. And I wouldn’t push those blankets down if I were you.”
“Why not?”
“You’re as naked as the day you were born, so unless you want to give mom something to yell about you’d better stay still.”
Amy concentrated on the feel of the sheets against her skin.
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