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  “Of course it did,” Carrie said. “It’s much harder to entertain a fantasy if you constantly have to refer to him by his last name.”

  “Speaking from experience? You should know,” Emma teased back. “I’ve seen the way you look at Phillip Alder in church.”

  This time Carrie’s cheeks turned scarlet. “That’s not the same thing at all,” she protested.

  “Oh isn’t it?” Emma said with a laugh.

  “You’re both carrying torches,” Jennie shouted and pointed a finger at them.

  Emma and Carrie exchanged a wicked glance and then turned their attention on poor Jennie. “Let’s get her,” Carrie said, and the two older girls began to tickle Jennie until she squealed and they all fell on the floor in a heap of laughter.

  Chapter 7

  When William woke later in the day, the room was much darker. Someone had lit a small oil lamp on the table near the bed, Emma probably. William wondered when she would be coming in again. His stomach still rumbled with hunger.

  He wondered if he should holler for her or try to get out of bed himself, but after struggling to pull himself to a sitting position, he gave up and leaned back against the pillow. It wasn’t that the pain was intolerable. Oh, it was still bad when he moved but manageable; the real problem was the lack of food had made him dizzy. The room had begun spinning as soon as he tried to move to the edge of the bed.

  “I have dinner,” Emma said, entering as if she had read his mind.

  “Is it more than soup this time?” William asked over another growl from his stomach. “I’m starving.”

  “It’s a stew,” Emma answered with a smile. “Carrie put in some vegetables but softened them up for you.”

  William hoped it would be enough. Emma set the bowl on the table and then returned to help William sit up. Though still painful, he enjoyed the soft touch of her skin and the sweet smell of her as she leaned near.

  When he was upright, she handed him the bowl and spoon. “Samuel found your horse. She’s in our barn now and he brought in your saddle bag,” she said pointing to his bag which lay on the floor against the far wall.

  “Thank you,” he said after swallowing a large mouthful of the warm stew.

  “You’re welcome,” she said. She glanced toward the door, then pursed her lips and frowned. Turning her face back to him, she asked, “Would you like me to read to you? You must be awfully bored laying in here all alone.”

  William wondered if she were asking simply out of kindness or if there was some attraction on her part, but he found he didn’t care. He liked her voice, and he didn’t want to be alone.

  “I’d like that,” he said as he spooned up another bite. The carrots and potatoes had been cooked to a tee and required very little chewing on his part which helped with the pain.

  Her eyes lit up and a dimple appeared in her cheek as she smiled. “Wonderful. I’ll be right back.” With a light step, she exited the room, returning a moment later with a large black book under her arm.

  William paled when he realized what the book was. He should have asked what she wanted to read to him as he wasn’t really in the mood for the Bible.

  “Are you a fan of the Psalms?” she asked as she pulled over the wooden chair and sat down.

  “I used to be,” William said. It wasn’t a complete lie; he and Catherine had often read the Psalms together. He had enjoyed them then, but he hadn’t picked up a Bible since her death.

  Emma raised an eyebrow at him as if unsure if she should continue, but when William offered no further objection, she opened the Bible and began to read.

  Her voice was low and melodious, and William found himself enjoying the reading in spite of the subject matter. Before he knew it, the stew was gone, and while he wasn’t completely full, it had satisfied the immediate gnawing hunger.

  Emma finished Psalm 121 and closed the book. “You know, you are a miracle. If that bullet had hit anywhere else, you would probably be dead. God must have had an angel watching out for you. Is there anything else I can get you tonight?”

  “No, I think I’m good for tonight,” William answered though he was tempted to ask for another bowl of stew.

  “Alright then,” she said standing and taking the bowl from him. “Rest well, and I’ll be back in the morning to check on you.”

  William lay back and pondered her words. He knew surviving a gunshot wound in general wasn't always a guarantee and especially one so near the neck. Could it be true that God was watching out for him? But if so, why? He certainly hadn't been giving God any of his time or attention.

  Chapter 8

  Emma placed the Bible on the table and washed the bowl in the sink. As the water swirled in the bowl, her mind wandered to William again. Though he had let her read, she had seen him tense at the sight of the Bible and had caught his vague answer about the Psalms. She wondered what hurt in his past had driven him from God’s loving arms.

  “Emma, will you read me a story before bed?” Jennie asked, entering the room. Her long brown hair hung around her shoulders and her hand-me-down nightgown touched the floor.

  “Of course. Why don’t you gather everyone else and we’ll all read together?”

  Jennie smiled, nodded, and raced away to gather her brothers and sister. Emma dried the bowl and set it beside the sink. Would she ever have her own children to read to? She loved her siblings, but it wasn’t the same.

  “God, if you see fit,” she whispered, “I’d love another chance at a family. Please help me be patient and wait on your timing.”

  A moment later, Jennie returned followed by Benjamin, Carrie, and Samuel. Emma grabbed the Bible again and sat in the middle of the couch. The two youngest sat on either side of her and Carrie and Samuel perched on the arms of the couch.

  Emma flipped the pages of the Bible, thinking about what story to read. A memory from long ago when Carrie was just a baby flashed into her mind. Their mother had still been alive then, a vibrant young woman with dark hair and crystal blue eyes. She had often read to them at night and Emma’s favorite story had always been the birth of Jesus. Though not Christmas or Easter, she flipped to the back of the book and began to read the story of Mary.

  When she finished, Jennie was asleep on her lap and Benjamin’s eyes were heavy.

  “I’ll get him,” Samuel said, scooping up his little brother and heading to the back room the boys shared.

  Emma did the same with Jennie, grunting a little under the weight. While not a large child, she had grown tall enough to be awkward in Emma’s arms. She followed Carrie into the room they shared and laid Jennie in the large bed.

  It was a tight squeeze with all three of them in the bed, but Emma didn’t often mind. She liked having her sisters near her, and after Joseph’s death, she found no enjoyment in sleeping alone. Her own eyes closed soon after she heard Carrie’s breath slow and become rhythmic.

  Chapter 9

  William awoke when the sun’s light broke through the window. He was tired of lying in bed, and he was bored. The need to do something, anything, burned in his veins, and while the pain hadn’t gone away entirely, he believed it had dulled enough that he could try moving.

  Remembering to take it slower this time after yesterday’s fiasco, he dropped his right leg out of the bed first before pushing up with his arms. He had just achieved a sitting position with one leg out of the bed when Emma entered the room.

  “What are you doing?” she gasped, hurrying toward him and placing the tray she was holding on the table. “You’re supposed to be resting.” She faced him with her hands on her hips and an reproachful look on her face.

  The look was comical on her, but William swallowed his laughter, sure she would take offense to it. “I can’t lay in this bed another whole day,” he said instead. “Please, just let me see if I can handle moving around.”

  Her bottom lip folded under in that endearing gesture again, and he could see the indecision in her eyes.

  “If it hurts too much, I pro
mise I’ll get back in bed,” he pleaded.

  “Alright, if you promise,” she said and held out a hand to help him up.

  He grasped her slender hand, ignoring the sensation that shot up his arm, and used her weight as leverage to swing his other leg out of the bed and push himself up. The pain in his neck throbbed a little but wasn’t unbearable. Unfortunately, he had stood up too quickly and black dots encroached his vision. He felt himself start to sway.

  “Whoa,” Emma’s voice said, and her arms wrapped around his chest to stabilize him.

  William’s body reacted impulsively to a woman being in his arms again and his own arms circled her. The smell of vanilla and sugar filled his nose.

  When the room stopped spinning, William registered how perfectly Emma fit in his arms. His heart sped up and his gaze dropped to Emma’s face. Her green eyes met his, filled with desire and confusion. Her perfect pink lips parted, and she inhaled. William wanted to kiss her, to taste those lips, but before he could say or do anything, she stepped out of his embrace, averting her eyes and breaking the moment.

  “I think you need more rest,” she said as she turned away from him and fiddled with something on the tray. He couldn’t help but feel pleased at the pink blush on her cheeks. She must have felt something too.

  “Nonsense,” he said, clearing his throat to hide the emotions he was feeling. “I’m fine now. I just need to remember to stand more slowly next time.”

  “In that case, would you care to eat breakfast at the table with the rest of us?” Emma asked.

  “I would sure like to try,” William said.

  With a nod, Emma picked up the tray and led the way to the homey kitchen. The table was already filled with the younger brother and sister he had already met as well as an elder boy and girl he had yet to meet.

  “Carrie, can you set another place for our guest?” Emma asked.

  A girl who appeared to be a younger version of Emma pushed her chair back and walked into the kitchen, returning a moment later with a plate and utensils. She set the plate down across from the only other empty setting at the table.

  “You’ve already met Benjamin and Jennie,” Emma said pointing at the two youngest children who were shoving pancakes in their mouths. “The other two are Samuel and Carrie.”

  Carrie flashed him a small smile while Samuel nodded his head at William. Emma put the bowl of porridge she had brought from the bedroom at the place setting Carrie had just laid down. While the porridge looked delicious, William’s stomach rumbled at the sight and smell of the pancakes.

  “If you think you can handle it, you are welcome to try some pancakes,” Emma said as if reading his mind. She pulled out the chair across from him and sat down.

  With a sheepish grin, William sat at the table and stabbed two pancakes with his fork. He forced himself to cut the pancakes into smaller bites though all he wanted to do was shove the entire thing in and fill the gaping hole in his belly. The act of chewing put a little more strain on the wound, but he found he could tolerate the pain, and before he knew it, the two original pancakes were gone. Along with two others he had for seconds.

  As he finished chewing the last bite, he looked up to see Emma staring at him, a bemused expression on her face.

  “Guess I was hungry,” he said with a half smirk and a shrug of his shoulders.

  “I guess you were,” she said with a laugh. “I'm glad you were able to join us for breakfast, but I think you need to get back to bed now.”

  “Nonsense,” William said. “I need to walk around. My neck and shoulders are stiff, but my legs work fine, and I’m certain your father said I would need exercise when I was feeling better.”

  As Emma bit her bottom lip, William knew he had struck gold. Their gazes locked, and William’s heart did another stutter step in his chest. Before it could really ramp up, Jennie’s voice broke the connection.

  “You can go, Emma. I’ll help Carrie clean up.” Jennie ended this statement with a giant wink at Emma which caused a lovely pink to bloom on Emma’s porcelain cheeks.

  “Yes, we can get this,” Carrie spoke up in a similar teasing tone.

  William had to bite his lips to keep from smiling not only at the girls’ antics but also at the clueless faces of their brothers.

  “Very well then, but we’ll keep it short. Shall we, William?” Emma stood and smoothed her skirt before raising her head to meet his eyes.

  “We shall,” he said, following her lead.

  Chapter 10

  Emma couldn’t believe how her sisters had embarrassed her, but she also couldn’t deny the excitement she felt about showing William the town. Would it be possible he could fall in love with it and decide to stay?

  “What would you like to see?” she asked as they stepped onto the porch. The morning sun was warm, but not hot yet, and a light breeze rustled the leaves of the trees. “I don’t want you out for long since it’s your first bit of exercise.”

  “Why don’t you show me one of your favorite spots?” William asked.

  Emma’s brow wrinkled in thought. What were her favorite spots? The church for sure. Maybe the large lavender Crape Myrtle tree she had often liked to read under when she was younger. And of course, the sage fields. No one should miss their majestic bloom.

  “Alright, I’ll take you through downtown to one of my favorite spots. That way you can see the rest of the town on the way, but if you get tired and need to rest, be sure to let me know. My father would have my hide if I had you out and about too soon and caused damage.”

  A playful smile pulled at William’s lips. “I promise to be a model patient, Nurse, and tell you when I need a rest.”

  Emma blushed at the tone in William’s voice. Was he simply teasing her, or could there be feelings behind his words?

  She led the way off the porch and towards town. Doc Moore’s house was on the opposite side of town from the saloon and Emma was happy to be able to avoid the place. Not only was it a morally decrepit den, but she figured William wouldn’t enjoy a reminder of his injury there.

  On their side of town was the schoolhouse, a large building that at this point still held only one room, but Emma had heard the men in town talking about the need to build a separation in the room. “This is our schoolhouse,” Emma said. “It’s quiet today as it’s Saturday, but I really don’t know how Margaret Goodman keeps up with all the children. It can be awfully noisy during lunch time.”

  “I bet,” William said chuckling.

  The church appeared next, it’s white exterior gleaming in the sun. “This is one of my favorite places,” Emma said to William. “I’ve always loved this building. It’s like I feel God stands at the door welcoming us each week.” Emma noticed that William glanced quickly at the building and then away. Again, she wondered what pain had distanced him from God.

  “This is the cafe,” Emma said as they neared the next establishment. “We don’t often eat here as it is too expensive to feed a family of six, but Pa took us once for a special treat. And, the food is excellent.” Her smile froze on her face though when Carl exited the restaurant and looked up at them.

  “Oh, so too busy to ride with me, but not too busy to show some stranger around our town?” Carl asked with a sneer.

  “Carl, this is Mr. Cook, the man who was shot. He felt up to some exercise today, so I am merely allowing him a supervised walk,” Emma said with a small sigh. “Not that it’s any of your business.”

  “Mr. Cook, huh?” Carl asked turning his attention to William. “The Bounty Hunter, right? Are you planning on sticking around once you heal?”

  William stared at Carl. “I am not. I have to turn Monroe into the authorities and then I’m sure I’ll have more jobs to attend to, though as Mrs. Stewart said, I’m not sure how that is any of your business.”

  Carl narrowed his eyes at William. “Let’s just say I have a vested interest in your leaving.” He flashed a smile at Emma before tapping the brim of his hat. “I’ll see you in church tomorr
ow, Emma.”

  Curling her hands into fists, Emma watched Carl walk away. He had once been a close friend, but he had no right to act as if he owned her.

  “What’s with him?” William asked when Carl was far enough away not to hear them.

  With a shake of her head, Emma continued walking. “We courted for a time until I met Joseph. Now that I’m a widow, he thinks he has some claim on me.”

  “But you don’t feel the same?” William asked.

  Avoiding the question, Emma stated, “Come on.” Turning down a side street, they headed to the outer part of town where the large lavender Crape Myrtle tree sat overlooking the creek.

  “We aren’t seeing the rest of downtown?” William asked.

  “Short walk, remember? Plus, there are beautiful things in Sage Creek outside of downtown you should see as well.”

  William’s brows pulled together in confusion, but he followed her, keeping his questions to himself.

  The downtown buildings faded into smaller houses. When the tree came into sight, Emma heard William’s intake of breath beside her. “Isn’t it gorgeous?” she asked. It looked especially pretty today in full bloom with bright purple flowers covering the tips of the branches.

  “It’s a sight for sure,” he said. “How long has this tree been here?”

  “I’m not sure,” Emma said, sitting down against the trunk. As the tree stood about twenty feet, it had a thick enough trunk to lean against. “As long as I’ve been here anyway. I used to love to come here and read in the afternoons.” She patted the ground beside her in an invitation to sit.

  William looked unsure at first, but finally managed to adjust his position enough that he appeared comfortable. In order to share the trunk, he had to sit quite close to Emma and she could feel the warmth radiating from him.