by PJ Sharon
Chapter 32
“Bo…Pappy…where did you come from?”
The two wolves ran to my side as Will helped me to my feet. Blood coated the fur around their muzzles. I looked toward the two men, knowing they were beyond help and that the wolves had done what they had to do to protect me. I patted them both. “I know you only attacked them to save me.”
“I found Bo and Pappy on the road not far from when I left you, or maybe I should say they found me. They seemed pretty intent on getting me to follow them.” Will held out my pack, his head turned away as I pulled my shirt over my head. “Are you okay?”
I was still shaking, but the adrenaline was wearing off. “I think so. Thanks to you and the wolves they didn’t have a chance to…hurt me.” I felt my face drain as I realized how horrific the assault could have been. The scrapes on my hands and knees were already healing, the puffiness of my cheek receding. I buttoned my pants and slipped my jacket on, already feeling less vulnerable.
“Well, I’m not leaving you alone again until I know you’re home safely.”
The tender look in his eyes squeezed my heart. I wanted to argue, but I knew he was right. It wasn’t safe to travel alone and I’d foolishly let my fear of getting too close to Will dictate my decisions.
“What should we do about these two?” I pointed a shaky finger at the bloodied bodies.
“Leave them to the animals,” Will said, bitterly. I shivered at the thought, but we had no shovels to use to bury them and we needed to move on.
“We should get going, then.” I straightened out my clothes. As we set a course for town, neither of us knew quite what to say. We’d both thought that we’d said our goodbyes, and now here we were again, as if the fates had other plans for us.
The wolves flanked me at my heels like bodyguards as Will and I came upon Claverack’s large stable behind the truck depot twenty minutes later. All was quiet in the tiny town at this hour and only an occasional street lamp or lighted window broke the darkness.
“You two keep watch…stay,” I commanded to Bo and Pappy. “The horses won’t appreciate you, and we don’t want to wake the whole town.” After I patted the two wolves, they slowly retreated to the shadows and stayed quietly lurking nearby and ready to spring to action if needed.
Will and I slipped into the building and passed several stalls, the horses offering a soft bray and swishing their tails at our arrival. After I climbed the ladder into the hay loft, Will joined me a moment later. “We’ll be safe here until morning,” he said. His reassuring tone warmed my insides, melting the ball of ice that had taken up residence.
I dropped my pack in preparation for settling in for the night. I wasn’t tired and closing my eyes and reliving the assault that still had my nerves strung tight seemed like a bad idea. I sank down into a pile of hay and emptied the food from my pack. Will lit a solar lantern that he’d found hanging at the door on the way in. It radiated a warm yellow glow—enough to see his face and the wariness there.
“You can stop worrying about me, Will. I’m fine…really.” I set the food out and we ate bread and cheese and dried pork, and didn’t talk, because if I did, it would mean that I would have to lie again. I didn’t want Will to know how scared I was or how glad I was that he was here with me. And I definitely didn’t want him to know that there were a thousand other reasons why having him back beside me felt like the most amazing gift of my life. “We should try to get some sleep.” I rolled onto my side facing away from Will and wrapped my arms tight around myself.
“Should I turn out the light?” he asked, softly.
“I think I’ll leave it on for a while,” I said. Because the other part of the truth was that I could still feel Eli’s hands on me and lying in darkness wouldn’t make that go away.
A restless night of tossing and turning left me grumpy at morning light. We ducked out of the loft just before the stable hand arrived. The sun blazed through the trees, coming up over the horizon like a torch setting the sky on fire with pink and orange clouds and filling the air with an oppressive steaminess. The diner was just opening as Will and I turned onto Main Street.
I wasn’t worried about being seen here. I knew many of the townspeople from the times I’d passed through with the caravans, and I’d even helped deliver the diner owner’s baby the year before. I was somewhat of a celebrity since the midwife had made it clear to everyone that the man’s wife would surely have died if it hadn’t been for me. She wasn’t sure what I’d actually done, but she’d seen the woman near death, and I’d brought her back just by laying my hands on her. After that, whenever I came to town, the diner owner made sure I ate for free. His eyes lit up when I walked in.
“Hi Lily, I didn’t know you were in town.” He put hot water on and hit the switch on the coffee pot behind the counter. “Have a seat. You’re my first customer of the day,” he grinned, his brown eyes warm with welcome. Will and I slid into a booth.
“I’m just meeting the caravan as it comes through town later. How are your wife and little Katelyn?”
“They’re great, thanks to you,” he winked. “What can I get you two? Have anything you like.” He pointed to a board on the wall that had a small but hearty menu.
My face flushed. “Just some herbal tea and toast for me,” I said.
“I’ll have the same…only a coffee would be better.” The warmth in Will’s eyes when he smiled at me made my cheeks grow warmer and made me feel giddy inside. I needed to get a grip on these feelings. My heart sank. I wanted to let Will come home with me, but I could only imagine Sam’s response when he found out that Will had been working for the Industry and that he had lured me into a trap. There wouldn’t be time enough to explain the details before Sam would bust a vein trying to tear Will’s head off.
Phil brought us our breakfast, adding a bowl of fresh strawberries between us and smiling as he dismissed himself to the kitchen to prepare for the caravan’s arrival. I nibbled on my toast.
“You haven’t said much since last night.” Will stirred milk and sugar into his coffee.
“What’s there to say?” I sipped my tea and avoided eye contact.
He stared at me patiently. “What happened last night should never have happened.”
I bristled, “So you’re saying it’s my fault?”
“No. I’m saying I should never have let you go off by yourself.”
I stabbed a strawberry with my fork. “It’s not like I gave you a choice.”
He reached across the table and rested his hand over mine. “Don’t blame yourself. I’m sorry I wasn’t there for you.”
“But you were.” I set the fork down and met his gaze squarely. “If it hadn’t been for you…and the wolves…I don’t want to think about what would have happened.” Bringing up this subject again made my stomach sour. “I’d like to know how the wolves found you, and how you knew to follow them.”
“Just a feeling I guess. They have a special connection to you. They kept running circles around me until I changed course. I ran nearly the whole way after them on the way to find you.”
I slid my hand out from under his, not sure I was ready for close contact, even from a friend. “Well, thank you again. I guess this makes us even.”
Will gave me a furtive smile. “I don’t know. You’ve saved my butt more than a few times. I think I still owe you.”
I swallowed hard, the toast having left my mouth dry. As much as I hated saying it, it needed to be said. “Look, Will, I know you’re trying to make up for…what you did. But if you really want to pay me back, you’ll leave me to go on with the caravan alone once it gets here.”
Will stiffened and stared at me for a long minute, his scrutiny causing goose bumps to rise on my arms. “I won’t leave you alone with Josh Johnson…not after what happened…not the way he looks at you.”
“You can’t come home with me. Sam is going to have enough to deal with when I tell him what happened in Albany. He’ll never understand.”
“I’ll make him understand. Let me deal with Sam.” He searched my face intently. I looked at him hard across the table, struggling to keep my voice from cracking. My emotions bubbled up inside at the thought of him facing Sam. I actually began to admire Will’s insistence on taking responsibility for his actions and his willingness to accept the consequences if Sam sought some kind of retribution. Then I realized he wasn’t the only one who would have to answer to my uncle. Sam would be beyond angry and disappointed with me for allowing Will back into our lives after such a betrayal. To Sam, loyalty was a commodity not to be traded. Second chances were a luxury he’d said we couldn’t afford.
“Rudy and the wolves will look out for me. You have to let me go.” I felt my eyes fill and a tear spill over before I could stop it.
“Please don’t cry, Lily.” Will reached out to touch my hand again but I snatched it back, making him recoil. “I’m sorry…I won’t touch you…I just can’t…leave you like this.” His eyes softened and he had a tortured look on his face that I wished I could erase.
I wiped my cheeks briskly. “This is just silly. I’m going to be fine. You and I barely know each other. It’s not like we’ve been friends a long time. You have to go on and search for your dad, and I have to get back to Stanton. You can’t come with me. Do you understand?” My voice escalated and Phil glanced over, his brow furrowed.
I lowered my voice. “Please. I don’t need another complication in my life right now. I have responsibilities at home, and I don’t want to upset Sam.”
“Complicated or not, I will leave as soon as I see you safely to Sam’s door.” He ground the words out through gritted teeth, his eyes an intense shade of grey that stopped me cold. I wasn’t sure I liked Will’s insistent and forceful side, but his determination made it hard to argue.
“I don’t need you, Will. And I don’t want you…”
Will’s expression went from hurt to stony so fast; I thought for sure I’d finally gotten through to him. Then I followed his gaze and looked over my shoulder. Josh and Luke Johnson stood in the doorway of the diner, a look of smug satisfaction on their faces that made my stomach drop.