“It sounded true,” he said. “Jimson played his part well. A grieving father distraught over the foolish actions of his son that led to his tragic death. The police were ready to accept whatever he told them to believe. They carried the body away for him.”
“And Beck?”
“He’s still out from whatever the doctor gave him. Duff’s sitting with him. Joe came in and the doctor set his arm and gave him a ride home in his buggy. Everything is taken care of.”
“Everything?” Adriane asked quietly, her eyes still on her hands. That was definitely blood under her fingernails. Maybe Stanley’s blood. She clamped her lips together to keep back a scream.
“Almost everything,” Blake admitted. He knelt in front of her and with great tenderness lifted her face up, being careful not to touch the stitches in her chin. His eyes probed hers as though looking for answers to unasked questions.
She started to say something, but he put his fingers softly on her lips. “Not now. We’ll talk later. First a bath.”
He carried in the tub and hauled warm water up the stairs that he must have put on to heat before the police came. He found the towels and soap, and when all was ready, he helped her strip off the ruined dress. She could feel his hands trembling as he eased the sleeves off her arms. While he carried the dress to the door to throw it out of the room, she slipped out of her chemise and pantaloons and stepped into the tub to sink down into the warm water.
She picked up the soap, but he knelt beside the tub and took it from her. Gently he began soaping her shoulders. She kept her eyes straight ahead as she said quietly, “He didn’t touch me.”
When his hands went still on her shoulders, she turned to look straight at him. “Would it have changed things if he had?” She kept her eyes steady on his. She did not want him to back away from the question. She needed an answer.
He didn’t hesitate. “Nothing could ever change the way I feel about you, Adriane. Or the way we belong together in every way.”
She was too surprised to speak when his mouth began quivering and his face crumpled as tears filled his eyes. He brushed the back of his hand across his eyes and drew in a shaky breath before he was able to go on. “But I should have been here to protect you from him.”
“You can’t always rescue everyone.” Adriane reached up to touch one of the tears that leaked out on his cheek.
He put his hand over hers and brought it around to his lips. He kissed her palm before he said, “But I want to rescue you. I can’t stand to see the wounded look in your eyes. I should have been here to save you from killing him by killing him myself.”
“I wasn’t holding the gun when it fired, but I did make him fall. That’s when the gun went off.” Stanley’s contorted face was there in front of her again. She shuddered so violently that water splashed out of the tub onto the floor.
“It’s over, darling. He can’t hurt you now.” Blake reached into the tub to put his arms around her.
She stayed stiff, unable to accept his embrace. “But don’t you see?” Adriane stared down in the water at her hands just below the surface. The blood was gone from under her fingernails, but would it ever be gone from her memory? “I wanted him dead. I was glad when he died.”
“Shh, it’s all right. You didn’t cause it. The evil within him caused it all. But he’s gone now and can’t hurt anyone else. That’s what you need to keep in your mind. He can’t hurt anyone else.” He touched his lips to her cheek and then her shoulder. “I’m here with you.” He leaned back and looked at her face. “I’ll always be with you.”
Adriane could see the depth of his promise in his eyes. With him beside her, she’d be able to face whatever was to come. Even the blackest closet of her fears would never be completely dark again, for his love would glow from inside her to push aside the darkness. A gift of light from the Lord who had heard her prayer in the darkness.
“I want to have your baby.” She wasn’t sure where the words came from or why she picked that moment to say them with death so fresh in her mind. Perhaps that was the reason.
Blake laughed, light exploding from his eyes as all signs of his earlier tears vanished. Suddenly death seemed far away. “I certainly hope so. If we’re going to start a newspaper dynasty, we’ll need at least six. Three boys and three girls. Think of the money we’ll save on hands once Beck has them trained to set type.”
“They might not all be as adept with the type as their mother,” Adriane said.
“True enough. But as long as they have their mother’s fire and courage, that will be enough.” Blake dropped his lips down to cover hers lightly before he began soaping her arms and back.
Adriane shut her eyes and soaked in the good feel of his hands touching her before she opened her eyes again and looked straight at him. “I love you, Blake Garrett. I have since the first moment I saw you in Mrs. Wigginham’s parlor.”
“I know.” A smile lingered on his face. “The part I wasn’t sure about was whether I could ever get you to admit it.”
“And now that you have?” She raised her eyebrows at him.
“I think it calls for at least five-inch headline type.”
“I doubt that headline would sell papers.” She laughed. A few hours ago, she wasn’t sure she’d ever have the chance to laugh again. But with the Lord’s help she had escaped the dark closet of evil that was Stanley Jimson. Another laugh welled up inside her as she rejoiced in the light surrounding her now. It was good to breathe. It was good to have Blake kneeling there beside her tub. It was good to have words of love on her lips.
“It will be a limited edition. One issue for you. One for me. And maybe one for Mrs. Wigginham.”
“And you?” Her smile faded as she stared at him intently. “I think you may have decided to rescue me that day, but when did you know you loved me?”
“I’ve always loved you, Adriane. I just didn’t know it until I saw you.”
She stood up then, letting the last of her fears slide away from her like the droplets of water off her skin. Water couldn’t rid her of the stain of Stanley’s blood, but Blake’s love could.
His eyes widened with surprise, but then his face warmed with love as he wrapped a towel around her and lifted her out of the tub. Water dripped everywhere, but neither of them noticed as he held her close and lowered his lips to hers.
Light, glorious light filled her heart. Nothing could ever steal that from her again. She’d prayed for an answer and now that amazing answer held her in his arms.
“I love you, Adriane Darcy,” Blake whispered into her hair.
“You mean Adriane Darcy Garrett, don’t you?” She leaned her head back to smile at him.
“I do indeed, Mrs. Garrett. I truly do.” Light exploded from his eyes again as he said, “I love you, Adriane Darcy Garrett.”
“And I love you, Blake Garrett. For now and forevermore.”
Never were words spoken more true.
Author’s Acknowledgments
A writer spends a great deal of time alone in front of her keyboard as a story spills out of her imagination onto paper or a computer screen. It’s a process I’ve never been able to explain, but one that I’m compelled to attempt over and over as I dip new stories out of that mysterious well of ideas inside my head. But once the story is all written down and polished as well as I can polish it, then I get the fun of sharing it with you, my readers.
That’s when I can no longer do it all alone. I’m blessed to have a wonderful agent, Wendy Lawton, who is always just a call or email away to offer encouragement and help while she does her best to see that I don’t stumble into any writing business pitfalls. I’m also privileged to work with a wonderful editor, Lonnie Hull DuPont, who had great suggestions about this book that helped me make the story better. I thank Barb Barnes for her editing expertise and also the proofreaders at Baker Publishing who keep me from making bonehead mistakes by careful reading. I appreciate all the Baker team who design great covers and come up with suggestions
for titles that will attract the eye of the book shopper. I thank Michele Misiak, who never fails to direct me to the right person when I have a question and never, ever seems too busy to help. I appreciate the publicity and marketing teams who present my books with enthusiasm to the book buyers and reading public. Without them, my books would not find you, the readers.
And of course, I do want to thank you for reading, for adding your imagination to mine in order to make my characters come to life in your minds and hearts.
I also have to thank my patient husband who has had to suffer through too many deadline crunches lately. I appreciate the wonderful support of my entire family.
Last, but never least, I joyfully thank the Lord who gave me stories to tell and the ability to write them down to share with you. I am blessed beyond measure by you, my readers, and by the Lord who so loved the world. The world—that’s me, you, all of us.
Ann H. Gabhart and her husband live on a farm just over the hill from where she grew up in central Kentucky. She’s active in her country church, and her husband sings bass in a Southern Gospel quartet. Ann is the author of over twenty novels for adults and young adults. Her first inspirational novel, The Scent of Lilacs, was one of Booklist’s top ten inspirational novels of 2006. Her novel The Outsider was a finalist for the 2009 Christian Book Awards in the fiction category.
Visit Ann’s website at www.annhgabhart.com.
Books by Ann H. Gabhart
* * *
The Blessed
Angel Sister
The Outsider
The Believer
The Seeker
The Scent of Lilacs
Orchard of Hope
Summer of Joy
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Words Spoken True: A Novel Page 34