Hearts Unfold by Karen Welch

his
shoulder.   There was nothing she could do
for that except to see that his arm rested in a more or less natural position
at his side.   And as long as he wasn't
aware of his surroundings, he would not be afraid, she told herself.   If he knew he was trapped in an isolated
farmhouse, with a girl who had little to offer in the way of aid, for what
might be hours before help came, he might understandably fear for his life.
    Laying a hand
on his chest, she said softly, “Just rest now.   Everything will be fine, you'll see.”
    She had done
the best she could for him, and now she turned her attention to her own
condition.   Soaked from head to toe, her
clothes cold and stiff, she was beginning to shiver uncontrollably.   With no concern for modesty, she stripped off
her wet things and dug in her duffel bag for jeans and a sweatshirt.   Standing close to the fire, she rubbed her arms
and legs to rid them of dampness.   When
she was dressed again, she sat down near him and dried her hair with a towel,
combing out the tangled length with her fingers.
    It was rapidly
growing dark.   Her watch read four
o'clock.   Could it really have been three
hours since she woke from that sweet dream?   In such a short time, everything about her homecoming had been
changed.   Now all that mattered was this
stranger, keeping him alive and getting him to a hospital.   She longed for the sight of Jack at the door,
no matter how upset he was at finding her here.   She needed him, this boy needed him, and she would explain what she had
believed were her reasons for coming home once he had been taken to safety.
    Slipping her
hand under the quilt, she let it rest on his chest.   His breathing was shallow, and his body was
still cold to the touch.   She considered
for a moment, hoping this idea was not merely the result of some writer's
device for furthering a romantic plot, and then pulled back the cover.   Carefully, she stretched beside him on the
floor and drew the quilts under her chin.   Sharing the warmth of her own body was the only other means she had of
warming him now.   She knew she would be
mortified if he woke to find her here.   But that seemed unlikely at this point.   As soon as she lay down, she realized how exhausted she was.   She would rest here a while, listening to his
breathing and the crackle of the fire.   What if she didn't know his name or where he had come from?   He would be gone as soon as help came, and
she might never know.   It didn't matter,
as long as he survived.   Her eyes went to
the angel she had placed on the mantel this morning—was it really only this
morning she had decorated the room for Christmas?   The angel stood with arms raised, her wings
spread in splendor behind her, ready to declare joy to the world.   If she had ever needed an angel, it was
now.   She would dispatch the angel to
find Jack, to tell him she desperately needed his help.  
    Emily fell
asleep picturing Jack's tall figure coming through the snow, following the
beautiful angel up the hillside.   The
angel looked remarkably like her mother, with honey-colored hair and sparkling
gray eyes; and her gentle smile seemed to say there was nothing to worry about.   Everything would be fine.

 

 
    Chapter Six

 
    Milo had phoned
Stani's hotel room at midnight.   He had
worried all day that he might have gone too far with Stani.   He knew that anger was not the best way to
motivate him.   He had always been able to
move the boy with encouragement and praise.   Stani was a pleaser.   He strove to
please everyone around him, from world-renowned conductors to stage hands.   He especially sought to please Milo.   He had used Stani's desire to please all
through the years with great success, but lately he'd become concerned by
Stani's lack of discipline.   His
drinking, in particular, seemed to be increasingly out of control.   It was coming dangerously close to affecting
his career.
    When there was
no