by Jenna Brandt
“You did the right thing coming with me, Grace. You’ll see—once we’ve spent some more time together—we’re meant for each other. I’m going to take really good care of you—just you wait and see.”
Grace didn’t respond. She was afraid if she spoke up, she might say something that would make him mad. The last thing she needed was that. Even though he was crazy and making no sense, at least he wasn’t dangerous at the moment.
“Once we reach California, we can start over. We’ll be happy there, Grace, you’ll see. You’ll be so happy; you’ll forget all about that doctor.”
She wanted to scream he was wrong. She would never forget Wyatt because he was the love of her life; however, she knew that wouldn’t do her any good. It would only make him angry, and Elijah became volatile when he was angry.
“You know, I’m trying to make conversation with you, Grace. You haven’t said a word this whole time, and I’m beginning to think you’re not going to try to make this work.”
She bit back her sharp reply that it was impossible to make something work with a man that forced her to be with him because he threatened the man she loved. Instead, she simply said, “I’m tired, Elijah, that’s all.”
“Why didn’t you just say so, Grace? Anything you need, I’ll take care of it for you. We’ll rest soon, once we find somewhere with cover. We don’t want anyone to see our fire and interrupt us.”
Interrupt them? What did he mean by that? She hoped he didn’t plan to make her do anything with him. She thought running away wasn’t an option, but she would rather take her chances in the wilderness over letting him force himself on her.
Silently, Grace sent up a prayer, asking God to help her. She wasn’t sure what to do, or if she was going to survive this, but she knew God had the answers.
She wasn’t sure how much more time passed, but Elijah was finally bringing the horse to a stop near a grove of oak trees. He tied the horse to one of the branches, then sat her down by a fallen tree trunk.
“You stay here while I gather up wood for the fire. Don’t try to run away, or I’ll go back to that town and kill that doctor. If I can’t have you, no one can; just remember that before doing something stupid.”
So much for running away. She knew Elijah was insane enough to go back and kill Wyatt like he threatened. The man had completely lost touch with reality.
Grace pulled her knees up to her chest, trying to keep herself warm. Even though her dress had several layers, it didn’t keep the cold night air from penetrating them. She forced herself not to cry, knowing it would only make Elijah mad if he saw it. Instead, she closed her eyes and tried to concentrate on Wyatt’s face.
“Are you asleep, Grace?”
This was how she could get out of whatever he had planned for her. If he thought she was asleep, maybe he would leave her alone for tonight. It didn’t solve her problem for tomorrow, but she needed to deal with one problem at a time.
She purposely didn’t respond and continued to remain still.
“You really were tired,” he mumbled. “I thought we might…”
Suddenly, she felt his hands on her and she had to bite her tongue to keep from screaming out in fright. Was this it? Was he going to finally take what he thought was his?
“I’ll let you have this one. You can sleep tonight, Grace. We have a sea of nights ahead of us.”
She felt him pull her against his frame as he wrapped his arm across her body. Though she was grateful that he hadn’t violated her, she hated the fact that he was forcing her to sleep right next to him. Grace was certain of one thing; she wasn’t going to have a peaceful night’s sleep tonight, or any night, as long as she had to be near Elijah.
The three friends arrived at the makeshift camp in the darkest part of the night. They moved slowly, careful not to make a noise and warn the man who took Grace.
Once they had eyes on them, they made their plans.
“I’m going to grab Grace,” Wyatt whispered. “While the two of you subdue her abductor and take his gun.”
Nathan and Davis nodded, both accepting their assignments.
They continued to move forward, Wyatt approaching from one side and his friends from the other.
They gestured across, making sure that they were ready to pounce at the same time. Just as they were about to make their move, the man stirred, opening his eyes. He jumped to his feet, pulling Grace up in front of him. He held the gun to her side, yelling, “What are you doing here?”
“Elijah?” Wyatt gasped out in utter shock. “What are you doing here? Why did you take Grace?”
He couldn’t believe his eyes. Standing in front of him was the only man he had been able to save from his unit. He had been severely injured, and Wyatt had been able to keep him from dying on the battlefield. Wyatt lost track of him after he was transported to a hospital for further treatment. Wyatt would have gone to check on him, but by the time the war was over, he had already been discharged. He never would have thought that he was the same soldier that had attacked Grace.
“Wyatt, Wyatt, is that you?” Elijah blinked several times, his hand waffling as he glanced back and forth between them. “How do you know Grace? What’s going on?”
“We met when I was in medical school. Her father was my mentor,” Wyatt explained, hoping to keep Elijah focused on him to give Nathan and Davis a chance to come up behind him. “After the war, she came to live with her aunt and uncle who live in the same town as me.”
“No, no, I don’t believe you,” Elijah said, shaking his head in denial. “My brain is all mixed up. Bits of memories keep coming back, but none of them make sense. I saw you kissing her earlier this evening, but I thought my head got it confused. I can’t keep anything straight.”
“Listen to me, Elijah, we can work this out,” Wyatt said, slowly moving closer as he looked for an opportunity to grab Grace. “With your head the way it is, you didn’t mean to hurt anyone. I know you. You’re a good man, a good soldier.”
“I’m not a soldier anymore. The war took that from me. It took my memories, too. All I have left is Grace. She told me I had to find a new purpose, and my purpose is to love her. I can’t live without her,” he cried out. “She’s mine.”
“I know you must care a great deal about her, Elijah, which is why I know you won’t hurt her.”
“You’re right, I don’t want to, but I saw the way she looked at you, the way she kissed you. She loves you and I can’t let her be with anyone else. I just can’t.”
Wyatt glanced past Elijah and noticed that Nathan and Davis were in position behind Elijah. He was distracted, and hadn’t noticed them moving. They gave Wyatt a slight nod, and when he returned it, they pounced. There was grunting and a few yelps as the three men fought for the gun. Elijah’s grip had loosened on Grace, allowing her to dart out of his arms and run straight into Wyatt’s embrace.
She started sobbing into his chest. After a few moments, she looked up, her eyes bright red from the tears. “I was so relieved when I saw you.”
There was a loud thud, and Wyatt looked over Grace’s head to see that Elijah was crumpled on the ground. Nathan was tying him up with rope they had brought with them.
“He’s going to be out for a while,” Nathan explained. “We’ll head over to Chapmin to turn him over to the sheriff.”
“Thank you,” Wyatt said, giving them both a grateful smile. “I couldn’t have done this without you.”
“We told you, that’s what family is for,” Davis said, before helping Nathan pick up Elijah and carry him away.
“Are you all right?” Wyatt asked, looking down at Grace. “Did he hurt you?”
She shook her head. “Not yet. God kept me safe until you could find me. I don’t even want to think about what would’ve happened if you hadn’t gotten here tonight.”
“Don’t think about it. It’s over, and you’re safe. That’s all that matters.”
Grace shook her head. “No, that’s not all that matters. I need you to kn
ow, when he took me, I realized how much I love you. I’ve always loved you, but when you hurt me, I tried to pretend I didn’t. I don’t want to have a long courtship, Wyatt. I want to be your wife right away.”
“You do?” he asked, the admission causing his heart to fill with joy. “I’m so glad to hear that. I’ve loved you a long time, Grace, but I wanted to be patient and let you heal from what happened to you. The funny thing is, while I was waiting for you to heal, you healed me. When you came back into my life, you gave me a reason to deal with my own pain from the war. I’m finally on the road to recovery, and it’s because of you, Grace.”
Wyatt leaned down and placed his lips on hers. It was a tender kiss that held so many emotions: joy, relief, passion, and most importantly, love.
Epilogue
As soon as they returned home, they announced that they were to be married at the end of the week. She knew it meant she wouldn’t have a big wedding, but she was happy with simply being Wyatt’s wife.
Her parents arrived just in time for the big day, after making sure that Elijah was returned to Charleston to stand trial for his crimes. Apparently, besides stealing a horse, he was also wanted for multiple counts of murder. He killed two doctors and a nurse at a mental hospital when he escaped.
“That’s the prettiest dress I’ve ever seen,” Nancy cooed, marveling at the white, satin gown that Grace’s parents brought with them from Charleston. “You look like a princess.”
“Thank you,” Grace said with a warm smile, “but I think your flower girl dress is the prettiest dress I’ve ever seen.”
The young girl spun around in her own white dress, showing it off. “It is, isn’t it?”
“Don’t be so vain, Nancy,” Ida chastised, giving her sister a disdainful look. “It’s not very ladylike.”
“Neither is being bossy,” Nancy challenged, giving her an equally dirty look.
“The two of you need to stop this right now. You don’t need to be squabbling and ruining Grace’s special day,” their mother rebuked, coming into the back room of the church. “You look gorgeous, Grace.”
“Thank you, Aunt Tabitha.”
“I need to go join your parents and uncle, but I had to come give you one more hug before I do,” she said, reaching out and hugging Grace.
“I can’t believe by the end of the day, all three of you will be married,” her aunt said, looking at Faith, Hope, and Grace. “I knew this day would come, but now that it’s here, I just keep remembering you as little blonde girls running around and playing tag in my garden.”
“And look at us now,” Hope said, with a wide grin. “Faith is going to have a baby in a couple of months, I’m your daughter-in-law, and Grace is marrying my cousin. After all these years of being like family, we all ended up actually being family.”
“God has a wonderful way of working things out exactly how they’re supposed to be,” Aunt Tabitha said before heading out.
“You ladies ready to go get me married?” Grace asked, squeezing both their hands.
“We sure are,” Faith said, squeezing her hand back, as Hope did on the other side.
The ceremony passed by quickly. They said their vows and exchanged their rings, promising to love one another forever. By the time Pastor Howell was announcing them husband and wife, Wyatt realized it was time for him to kiss his bride.
He pulled her towards him and placed his lips on hers. Their guests clapped and cheered, excited to be a part of the couple’s public proclamation. They made their way into the town square that was decorated and ready for the wedding reception.
“We’re so happy for you,” Grace’s mother said, coming up to them.
“When you first came to the university, I knew there was something special about you, Wyatt. I thought it was because you were so gifted when it came to medicine, but now I know it’s your ability to love. You love my daughter in a way that I know she will always be happy. It makes a father pleased to know that.”
“Thank you, Dr. Abernathy. It means a lot to me to hear you say that.”
Her parents gave them both a hug before joining Grace’s aunt and uncle at one of the tables.
Next, his own aunt and uncle came up to congratulate them.
“I have to tell you, Wyatt, I’m proud of the way you’ve handled yourself after the war. You’ve done our people, and family, a great honor. Now that you’ve gone and married an Abernathy, just like Hope did, I guess there’s no way of getting around it, we’re stuck with them as part of our family.” His Uncle Luke winked at them both, then added, “Which for the record, also makes me proud.”
“I’m so happy for the both of you,” his Aunt Joanna said, reaching out and squeezing both their hands. “You two are perfect together. I can’t wait to be a great-aunt.”
Grace’s eyes widened as she glanced between Wyatt and her new aunt. “I hope you don’t think it will be too soon. I’d like a little time alone with my new husband before we introduce children into the equation.”
Aunt Joanna let out a laugh, nodding in agreement. “I can understand that, but don’t wait too long. I’m not a spring chicken anymore.”
“Your aunt and uncle are waving us over,” Luke said, looking over at one of the tables. “We should go join them.”
“I can’t believe how happy I am,” Grace said, wrapping her arm around Wyatt’s. “After the war, I thought I never would be again. Now, because of you, I’m more than I’ve ever been.”
“I feel the same,” he said, pulling her into his arms. “Let’s dance before someone else comes up to us.”
The music started to play, and they swayed to the music. Wyatt loved the feel of Grace in his arms. She felt like she belonged there, and he never wanted to let her go.
“I love you, Wyatt,” she whispered. “I don’t know if I will ever get tired of saying that to you.”
“I hope not,” he said back, “because I plan on us both saying it to each other for the rest of our lives.”
She laughed, the tinkling sound of it making Wyatt’s heart fill with joy. “There you go again with your poetic words.”
“You should get used to that, too,” he teased. “I love you, Grace, and I’m going to spend the rest of my life showing you just how much.”
A Note from the Author
I hope you have enjoyed Healed by Grace.
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