Again, Audrey nodded. That was the most she could wish for. She’d be more diligent in her own prayers on that topic. For now, though, her beseeching to heaven was focused on begging for Levi’s health to be returned.
She couldn’t lose him.
Before that worry could consume her again, she sought out a new topic. “Have you set a day yet? For your ceremony?” Her voice cracked on the last words, turning them into something like a sob. Even that question reminded her of Levi, of the way he’d encouraged her to come back for her friend’s wedding.
It turned out she would be here after all.
Brielle offered a sad smile. “As soon as our home is finished.”
Audrey nodded, but words to answer wouldn’t surface.
Maybe Brielle understood, for she supplied the lack. “They’re making steady progress, but I think it will be another couple of weeks before they finish. If Evan doesn’t work himself sick before then.” A smile lifted her voice, matching the expression that always shone in her eyes when she spoke of her beloved. “He’s determined the work won’t take one day longer than it has to.”
Audrey looked away as fresh burning stung her eyes and nose. She was so glad Brielle had found this man, this love that lit her from the inside. But hearing of it as Audrey’s own love barely clung to life in front of her brought the tears too close. She struggled to regain control, to gather her raw emotions and press them down where they couldn’t take over.
“He means a great deal to you, doesn’t he?” Brielle’s soft question slipped through before Audrey had finished pulling herself together.
A sob slipped out as she nodded.
Levi meant so much more thana great dealto her. She couldn’t even put into words how much she cared for him.
Silence settled again, but need rose up inside Audrey. A desperate urge to explain the depth of character inside Levi Masters.
“He’s a good man, Brielle. Respectful and kind. God honoring. He wanted me to come back, didn’t want me to be estranged from our people.” A half laugh, half sob broke through. “When he found out I might be missing your wedding day, I thought he would force me to leave, even though he would have been stranded in the cave until his leg healed.”
She turned to fully face her friend. “I couldn’t leave him. It would have meant possible death with his injuries. I had planned only to show him the cave and give him the supplies. But then just as I was going to return to Laurent, Leonard showed up. And then...” She couldn’t speak again of that awful ordeal. “With Levi so hurt, I couldn’t leave him. And the more I’ve come to know him...”
She let the words linger. There was nothing else to say. She could only pray Brielle understood. Maybe there was one more thing that would help her. She locked Brielle’s gaze with her own. “Would you have been able to leave Evan if he’d been injured like that?”
Brielle flinched but didn’t break their gaze. Her eyes had widened, though, as if she finally understood how deeply Audrey felt for this man.
Brielle didn’t respond with words, but as her expression shifted from surprise to understanding to sadness, no spoken response was needed. She finally shifted her focus to Levi, that sadness deepening. “We’ll be praying for him.”
Audrey nodded her thanks. She should find a new topic for them. She cleared her throat. “Please tell Charlotte thank you for bringing meals for my father. He actually seems better these days. I know the changes have thrown off his routine, but still...”
Brielle’s gaze warmed. “Papa says he hasn’t overindulged since the day you left. We’ve all noticed how different he seems.”
That news should fill Audrey with relief. She’d been praying for this for years. And these past few days, she’d wondered. Yet how could anything lighten the weight on her chest when Levi was barely clinging to life?
Brielle glanced down at the bed, and a frown pressed her brow. “Is he...?”
Audrey jerked her gaze to Levi, panic coiling her insides. Surely he hadn’t...
But the pallor and stillness she expected to see weren’t what she found. His eyes ... Had they cracked open?
She leaned over him and pressed a hand to his cheek, brushing the hair from his temple. “Levi? Are you awake?”
His eyelids parted even more, revealing the beautiful brown beneath. Her heart leapt, stretching her chest so tight she could barely breathe for the joy.
His mouth opened—at least it tried to. His chapped lips didn’t seem able to separate.
She reached for the cup. “Here. Take a few sips.”
As she poured in three spoonfuls, he swallowed after each one. He only coughed once, and just a slight sound, not the body-wrenching shudders of before. His eyes remained only half-opened but wide enough that she could see his gaze tracking her.
The fact that he’d awakened meant he might be turning the corner. Especially since his fever seemed a little lower than before.
God was answering her prayers, whether he used the herbs or only His divine hand.Thank you, Father.
