“We’ll need to unwrap and clean it once a day,” he said. “You’ve been very brave, Roger. I know it hurts.”
The boy nodded seriously, his tears finally dry.
“Let’s get you inside to lie down,” Rebecca said as she rose from the floor of the barn. She reached for Roger’s hand to help him up.
“Can Levi take me?” the boy asked.
It took Levi a moment to realize what Roger had said. He looked to Rebecca, who nodded.
“Of course,” she said. “Be sure to thank him for his help.”
“Thank you.” Roger reached out to take Levi’s hand.
The small hand tucked into his made Levi’s heart ache. No child had ever looked at him like that. This little boy trusted him, and Levi had met his expectations. No praise from anyone else he’d ever hoped to impress in his life meant as much as the way Roger looked up at him.
“Let’s get you to bed, little man,” he said. “If you feel better later on, maybe you can help me hold nails to fix some of that fencing down by the road.”
“I’ll feel better,” Roger said with all of the confidence of his seven years.
“I don’t doubt it,” Levi replied. He pushed the door open and looked back toward Rebecca, who watched them with a smile.
“Go on,” she said. “I’ll clean this up and be in soon. Gwynnie and Sarah are tending to breakfast.”
They walked slowly toward the house, Levi keeping a careful grip on Roger’s hand. He didn’t think the boy had lost enough blood to feel faint, but he wasn’t about to take any chances. He pointed out the fence that needed fixing and a rabbit that hopped across the yard.
“You’re about old enough to learn how to shoot,” Levi went on, casting an assessing eye at the skinny blond boy.
Roger perked up immediately. “Really?”
Levi pretended to think a moment. “Yes,” he finally said. “Provided that you listen to me, and that you prove I can trust you to think more carefully about what you’re doing in the future.”
Roger nodded, and then winced, the action likely jarring his hurt arm. “You can trust me, I promise. I won’t go picking up a saw again unless I ask first.”
“The same rule applies to anything else that could hurt you unless it’s used correctly. Do you understand?” Levi opened the door to the house.
“I do,” the boy said seriously.
“All right,” Levi said as they entered the house. “Heal up, and then I’ll teach you.”
Roger laid down with a huge grin, and pride bloomed in Levi’s chest. Roger was a good kid, and Levi had no doubt the boy would be true to his word—as best as he could be, anyway.
Rebecca arrived, loaded down with everything she’d brought out to the barn, plus Levi’s hat and bloodstained coat. She set it all down just inside the door as Levi began piling breakfast onto a plate for her.
“Thank you,” she said with a strained smile as she took the plate from him. She sank into a chair and ate in silence. Levi helped himself to a second serving of eggs as Gwynnie tried to convince Emmy to eat more than one slice of ham.
“Not hungry!” The little girl wrapped her arms around herself and frowned.
“Let her go on, honey,” Rebecca said to Gwynnie in a weary voice. “She’ll be plenty hungry by noon.”
The children left the table and went outside, with the exception of Roger, who continued to nap.
“He’s sleeping well,” Levi said as he sat back in his chair.
“Mmm.” Rebecca pushed the remaining eggs around her plate with a fork, not bothering to lift them to her mouth.
“And he seemed in good spirits when we walked in. I offered to teach him how to shoot in exchange for him promising to ask before picking up dangerous tools again.” Levi smiled at the memory of how excited Roger had gotten at the prospect.
Rebecca said nothing as she continued to stare at her uneaten eggs. Worry lines creased the corners of her mouth. She must have still feared what could have happened.
