So the grandmother had been wealthy enough to hire servants. Or at least a cook.
He gave Anna’s arm another little squeeze, like a sideways hug. "Your Gamma sounds like a wise woman. Did you live with her?"
She glanced up at him, her gaze questioning.Or maybe searching to see why he would ask the question. He shouldn't have asked it. His goal was to make her feel safe, not interrogate. He couldn't lose sight of that.
He gave her a smile. "I remember going to visit my Grandma Jones in the summertime. She lived in a little town and had a house right on the main street. I could walk to the mercantile any time I wanted, but my mama only let me buy candy when I worked to earn the money. Mr. Zimmerman at the livery would pay me to muck the stalls, and I learned that the better job I did, the more he paid."
A smile tickled the corners of her mouth. "Did you buy a lot of candy?"
He gave a firm nod. "I did. So much my belly hurt." He clapped a free hand over his middle, and her lips curved more, though not yet a full smile. "After that, I started saving the money I earned. Most of it anyway. Sometimes I'd use a little to buy warm chocolate at the cafe."
At his wink, she finally allowed a full grin, one that flashed a missing front tooth and bright blue eyes that reminded him of Mary Ellen's, though hers were brown. It was the pleasure that made them feel so similar.
Anna seemed to realize her reaction, and she dipped her chin in sudden shyness. But she snuggled in a little closer, like maybe she was letting down a barrier between them.
The weight of her trust pressed in his chest. They had to do everything possible to help her Gamma recover, for he wasn't sure he could stand watching her face the pain of losing the person who seemed most important to her.
Naomi stood by the cookstove, letting her gaze linger on the strong man who sat with the tiny waif of a girl tucked under his arm. Eric was reading Aesop's Fables toAnna now, his voice changing pitch and speed as he spoke for each of the characters. She couldn't see the girl's face from this angle, but she could imagine her eyes wide as she soaked in the story of the tortoise and the hare.
This might be their life one day. Not with Anna, but with Mary Ellen tucked against her father's side. Naomi working quietly to make their house a home, preparing hearty meals and special treats that would bring smiles to those she loved. And having Eric here to enjoy it all with her. To help bear the load, to look at her with that loving gaze, to wrap his strong arms around her and make her feel like she never had to face anything alone again.
A fresh sting of tears rose. Happy tears maybe. At least in part.
She couldn't ignore the other scene playing out, mere steps from where Eric and Anna sat. The frail figure of Anna's grandmother lay shrouded in blankets that seemed to swallow her delicate frame whole.
Dinah worked tirelessly beside her, the lantern casting a soft flicker of light that caught the strands of her hair as she adjusted something on the woman's arm.
Jericho sat in a chair on the opposite side of the bed, like a silent sentinel, his presence offering support without words.
Dinah had found a good man in him. One whose strength wasn't just in his broad shoulders and calloused hands from working the ranch, but in his unwavering faith and support for her, and for the rest of the family.
She lifted her focus back to her sister, whose tight-lipped expression didn't bode well. Dinah had a remarkable ability to mend wounds and spirits, but Naomi had seen that expression more than once. She must be worried they might lose their patient. Dinah would think of the woman as her patient, the loss as her responsibility. Naomi had to remind her of the greater Healer who was really in control of thisgrandmother's life.
She gave the stew a final stir. It needed to simmer a half hour before she served it. That would give her time to help Dinah where she could. She approached the bed, keeping her footsteps as soft as she could on the creaking floorboards.
Jericho stood as she approached. “I need to bring in more wood.” He gave Naomi a significant look, one that said he would only leave if she would stay to help her sister.
She gave a nod, and he headed to the door. She moved to stand beside Dinah, studying what her sister was doing.
Dinah’s hands moved quickly as she tied a sling around the thin arm and shoulder. "Her shoulder was dislocated, but I put it back in place. I'm securing it to alleviate pain and allow the tendons to heal." Her fingers fumbled with the knot. When working with a patient, Dinah was usually so focused, her actions rarely erred.
Naomi glanced at her sister's face as Dinah spoke again. "The pain from the dislocation might have sent her into toxic shock. That, combined with the cold, dehydration, and hunger... It's so much for her body to recover from, especially at her age." A small tremble crept into her voice. Was she saying the woman likely wouldn’t make it?
Naomi slipped an arm around her sister, moving close so Dinah could feel her support. Dinah usually kept a professional demeanor, yet a tender heart like hers could only take so much.
Dinah took in a shuddering breath as she pulled the blankets over her patient's arm, tucking them up around her chin. Then she turned in to Naomi, wrapping her arms around her in a hug they hadn't shared in so very long.
Naomi held her tightly, breathing in her twin's pain as her own tears leaked from her eyes. Caring was so hard. It opened the heart to be vulnerable. To feel so much pain even about a person unknown—a woman who'd not even opened her eyes and spoken to them. But her loss would affect them. Dinah would need to heal from it.
Dinah clung to Naomi, her shoulders rising and falling with each deep breath.
Naomi sent up a silent plea.Help her know how much she's loved. Show her that if this patient dies, it won't be because of anything she did or didn't do. Help her rely on You for her strength.
At last, Dinah let out a long, slow breath, then eased back. She managed a tremulous smile, though her eyes didn't reflect it.
Naomi kept a grip on her sister's elbows, drawing her gaze. When Dinah final met her eyes, Naomi put every ounce of love and certainty she could muster into her voice. "I'm thankful God brought Anna and her grandmother so we can help them. But you have to remember this woman's life is in God's hands. There's nothing you can do to change that."
Dinah's gaze wavered, her eyes shimmering pools that threatened to overflow. She gave a short nod, the lines of her face softening with the acknowledgment of this inescapable truth they both knew. "Thank you, Naomi." Her voice carried a quiver, but also the underlying strength that made her sister such a wonder.
