CHAPTER13
Grace hesitated. Should she leave the baby?
Jess sat in a rocking chair near the hearth, feeding Ruby. She smiled up at Grace. “Go on. I’ll take good care of this sweet angel.”
It felt wrong to leave her child for someone else to care for. But Jess looked incredibly content, Ruby snuggled in the crook of her arm. A contentment Grace knew well. If she truly didn’t mind caring for Ruby a little longer, it would be best not to take the babe out into the cold.
She murmured “thank you” and followed Dinah to the door, where she pulled for her coat from a peg.
Once bundled, she followed Dinah into the brisk morning air. The sun shone bright and clear, but the wind held a biting chill that stung her cheeks as they made their way down the gentle slope toward the barn and bunkhouse.
Dinah glanced her way, her expression gentle like before. "It's not easy, is it? Letting others help care for your little one. Especially when you've had to shoulder it all alone."
The words pierced deep, and Grace's throat tightened. She could only manage a nod.
Dinah's eyes held a sheen of empathy. "You're not alone anymore, Grace. We're all here for you now. And for Ruby."
More tears burned, and she blinked hard. What had she done to deserve such kindness? Such a generous welcome from near strangers?
Before she could form a response, they reached the bunkhouse door.
Dinah gave a light knock as she pushed it open and poked her head in, then spoke in a hushed voice. "Good morning. I've brought Grace to see Sampson."
A male voice answered, his tone deep but quiet. "Come on in."
Dinah held the door wider and motioned Grace to go ahead.
She stepped into the dim interior, blinking as her eyes adjusted from the brightness outside.
A tall man stood between the two closest bunks, his dark hair and sharp eyes marking him as one of the Coulter men. Beside him was Sean, Sampson’s eight-year-old nephew, whom she’d met yesterday.
She gave Sean a smile before focusing on the man.
The strong lines of his face softened. "You must be Grace. I'm Jericho, Sampson's brother. We're glad to have you here.”
Another warm welcome. She’d not expected it from any of them, especially not this daunting man.
She worked for a smile. "Thank you. I'm sorry to impose on your family like this."
He waved off her words. "Family is never an imposition. You're a Coulter now, and we take care of our own." His gaze shifted to the lower bunk beside him, and his expression sobered. "Speaking of which, you've got your work cut out for you taking on this fellow as a husband."
Grace followed his gaze, and her heart lurched as she made out a form under the blankets. Only a tuft of Sampson’s brown hair showed beyond the covers.
Dinah stepped closer and pulled back the blanket, speaking softly to rouse him. "Sampson? Your wife is here to see you."
Grace could hardly breathe, her stomach roiling as she took in the damage to his handsome face. The strong planes and angles she'd admired just two days before were now distorted, mottled black. His eyes had swollen to mere slits. If his family hadn't told her this was Sampson, she might not have recognized him.
Dinah motioned for Grace to come closer as she stepped back. "We'll give you some privacy. I'll be back in a little while to change his bandages."
After the couple and the boy left and the door closed with a soft click, silence filled the small building, broken only by Sampson's labored breathing.
She swallowed hard and took a small step toward the low bed, fighting the urge to run back out the door. Should she try to talk to Sampson? Or let him rest? What would help him most?
Before she could decide, one of his swollen eyelids parted just a slit, enough for him to peer at her. His puffy, split lips opened, but the voice that rasped out sounded nothing like his usual strong tone. "I'm sorry…you have to see me…like this." The words came slowly, and he stopped to breathe after every few.
She twisted her hands together. "I'm so sorry you’re hurt. What happened?" Two Stones said her father had been involved. But surely he could never have done anything this brutal. Not to any man, and especially not to her husband.
His one half-open eye studied her a moment, filled with pain and some other heavy emotion she couldn't decipher. "Are you all right? And Ruby?"
