father impressed her by being able to handle a needle to sew up the wounds before he wrapped the bandages around them. He sat back and looked up at her. “That’s about all we can do. The rest will be up to him.”
“Do you think he’ll make it?”
“I s’pose that has more to do with whether the Lord is ready for him or not than with anything we’ve done here today.” He set his hand on her shoulder as he came around the body. “Come, Maggie. Let’s eat some of that supper you prepared. I don’t imagine he’ll be up for any of it any time soon.”
She cast another look at the young man laying on their floor then moved over to the kettle and dished out the stew she had prepared. She hoped he was strong enough to pull through.
#
William groaned as pain sliced through his chest. What happened to him? Had he fallen from his horse? He vaguely remembered that. Had David seen him? That would spoil his hero status in the boy’s eyes. A woman hummed. Anna? Had Anna found him?
He tried to look around, but he couldn’t see anything. Why wouldn’t his eyes open? Pain flared in his chest again as he shifted. The humming stopped. Footsteps approached him, soft, unsure. A hand brushed over his forehead. He heard her talking to him. He wanted to reach out to her, wanted to touch his wife again. How long had it been? It seemed like forever since he’d touched her. It couldn’t have been, could it? Something didn’t feel right. Like he needed to remember something and couldn’t quite find it. Why couldn’t he open his eyes?
Her voice came through stronger and left William feeling even more uneasy. Something was wrong. That wasn’t Anna’s voice. What was happening? He finally pried his eyes open. He barely processed what he saw around him.
He wasn’t at his ranch. Certainly not outside. He laid on a floor, in front of a fire. It wasn’t his home, wasn’t his floor, wasn’t his fire. He was sure of it. Where was he? Where was Anna? Had that been her humming? He turned his head and fought to bring the room into focus as pain made his head spin. She knelt beside him. At first he thought she was his wife. Something wasn’t right. The eyes looking down into his looked like hers, in a face with a similar shape. Something was missing. He noticed the hair falling down over her shoulder. It was a light brown. Anna’s was pale, like corn silk. This wasn’t Anna.
William’s tongue darted out to touch his parched lips. The woman shifted beside him. “Do you want some water?”
He gave a short nod, not sure if he could talk, and the motion sent his head spinning again. He groaned and closed his eyes, but opened them again when she approached. She lifted his head with one hand then held the cup up to his lips. “Is that better?” she asked when she took the cup away.
He nodded then tried out his voice. “Who are you?” The words came out as a croak, but his voice smoothed out as he asked, “Where am I?” He wanted to ask what happened, but a heaviness weighing on his chest made him think he didn’t want to know.
“My name’s Maggie Barnes. You’re at my Pa’s ranch near Lay. Do you remember what happened to you?”
He shook his head quickly, but the memories tried to come back, and a tear burned at the corner of his eye. Anna. He had to find Anna and David. Where was his son? Visions of two caskets came to him. No. No, no, no. That wasn’t right. It couldn’t be. He tried to sit up. “Where’s my wife?”
The girl stumbled back then came back and put a hand on his shoulder. “You can’t get up. You’re still too weak. Just lay here. I’ll go get Pa. He’s the one who found you.”
He closed his eyes again before her footsteps retreated. He couldn’t stop the tear from sliding down his cheek. The memories came back to him. Dead. They were both dead. He had buried his wife and son. He’d been on the trail for their killer. For his brother. He found him and tried to take him in. What had
“Do you think he’ll make it?”
“I s’pose that has more to do with whether the Lord is ready for him or not than with anything we’ve done here today.” He set his hand on her shoulder as he came around the body. “Come, Maggie. Let’s eat some of that supper you prepared. I don’t imagine he’ll be up for any of it any time soon.”
She cast another look at the young man laying on their floor then moved over to the kettle and dished out the stew she had prepared. She hoped he was strong enough to pull through.
#
William groaned as pain sliced through his chest. What happened to him? Had he fallen from his horse? He vaguely remembered that. Had David seen him? That would spoil his hero status in the boy’s eyes. A woman hummed. Anna? Had Anna found him?
He tried to look around, but he couldn’t see anything. Why wouldn’t his eyes open? Pain flared in his chest again as he shifted. The humming stopped. Footsteps approached him, soft, unsure. A hand brushed over his forehead. He heard her talking to him. He wanted to reach out to her, wanted to touch his wife again. How long had it been? It seemed like forever since he’d touched her. It couldn’t have been, could it? Something didn’t feel right. Like he needed to remember something and couldn’t quite find it. Why couldn’t he open his eyes?
Her voice came through stronger and left William feeling even more uneasy. Something was wrong. That wasn’t Anna’s voice. What was happening? He finally pried his eyes open. He barely processed what he saw around him.
He wasn’t at his ranch. Certainly not outside. He laid on a floor, in front of a fire. It wasn’t his home, wasn’t his floor, wasn’t his fire. He was sure of it. Where was he? Where was Anna? Had that been her humming? He turned his head and fought to bring the room into focus as pain made his head spin. She knelt beside him. At first he thought she was his wife. Something wasn’t right. The eyes looking down into his looked like hers, in a face with a similar shape. Something was missing. He noticed the hair falling down over her shoulder. It was a light brown. Anna’s was pale, like corn silk. This wasn’t Anna.
William’s tongue darted out to touch his parched lips. The woman shifted beside him. “Do you want some water?”
He gave a short nod, not sure if he could talk, and the motion sent his head spinning again. He groaned and closed his eyes, but opened them again when she approached. She lifted his head with one hand then held the cup up to his lips. “Is that better?” she asked when she took the cup away.
He nodded then tried out his voice. “Who are you?” The words came out as a croak, but his voice smoothed out as he asked, “Where am I?” He wanted to ask what happened, but a heaviness weighing on his chest made him think he didn’t want to know.
“My name’s Maggie Barnes. You’re at my Pa’s ranch near Lay. Do you remember what happened to you?”
He shook his head quickly, but the memories tried to come back, and a tear burned at the corner of his eye. Anna. He had to find Anna and David. Where was his son? Visions of two caskets came to him. No. No, no, no. That wasn’t right. It couldn’t be. He tried to sit up. “Where’s my wife?”
The girl stumbled back then came back and put a hand on his shoulder. “You can’t get up. You’re still too weak. Just lay here. I’ll go get Pa. He’s the one who found you.”
He closed his eyes again before her footsteps retreated. He couldn’t stop the tear from sliding down his cheek. The memories came back to him. Dead. They were both dead. He had buried his wife and son. He’d been on the trail for their killer. For his brother. He found him and tried to take him in. What had
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