They approached and sat on the bench. Edmund’s face was pale, but his chest rose and fell gently, and no perspiration showed on his brow.
He must have heard their approach, for the turned his head to the side and smiled the smallest of smiles. “’Tis good to see your face without an arrow in my side,” Edmund managed to say. “Did you tell them?”
Jacob gave a tilt of his head. “I told Dawn, but not Mary. I wanted to make sure it was what you still wanted.”
“I told you.” Edmund swallowed. “It had nothing to do with the battle. ’Tis what is best.”
Jacob nodded, then turned to Mary. “Mary, dear, Mr. Fairfax, your uncle, he thinks that Dawn and I should be your ma and pa.”
Mary’s little mouth dropped open. She blinked at Edmund. Then she flashed a bright smile at Dawn and Jacob. “Yes!” She threw her arms around Dawn’s neck. After she squeezed her for several moments, she did the same to Jacob. Both he and Dawn chuckled.
Mary slipped from the bench and walked over beside Edmund’s head. “T’ank you, Uncle.”
“You are welcome, child.” Edmund closed his eyes as if he could no longer hold them open.
Dawn reached out and took Mary’s hand. “We should let him rest now.”
Together, they walked out into the sunshine. Mary skipped ahead of them.
“Want to visit Sarah and Abraham, Mary?” Jacob asked.
Dawn gave him a sideways glance. What did he have up his sleeve?
“Yes!”
“Good. I would like to take your ma for a walk.” He emphasized the word.
Dawn grinned and leaned into him. It did not matter how hot the day was or how the sun beat down on them, for they were together. And they were family. She would gladly walk to the ends of the earth with them and for them. Plus, perhaps her husband had more than a simple walk in mind, given their conversation the previous afternoon. Dare she to hope?
At Mrs. Abbott’s, they shared the good news of Edmund’s waking and dropped Mary off to play with the other young children. Then Jacob took Dawn’s hand and placed it in the crook of his arm as they began their turn about the fort.
“There is a matter I wanted to discuss with you.”
Dawn glanced up at Jacob. “What is that?”
“How do you feel about leaving the fort?”
“Leaving?” She considered the thought for a moment. “Where would we go? Just somewhere safer? To your family?”
Jacob gave her a guilty grin. “Yes. I thought we might join my family in the west. Only, I did not know how you would feel about leaving Mrs. Abbott or taking Mary away from Edmund.”
Dawn took a deep breath. “I…I had not considered such.”
“You do not have to reply right away. And I want you to feel no pressure to make your decision one way or another.”
Dawn nodded, but the question was already rolling around in her mind. Leaving Mrs. Abbott would certainly be difficult as she had come to know the woman as family. And though Edmund had entrusted them with Mary’s care, was it right to separate the family members? She would certainly want to discuss the matter with him before they made their final decision.
But to leave this unrest and join Jacob’s family? It did sound tempting. After all, they would be gaining another family there. And Dawn had learned just how precious found family was.
CHAPTER 20
He appointed the moon for seasons: the sun knoweth his going down.
PSALM 104:19
September 21, 1782
Above Jacob, the stars were tiny pinpoints of white in a black midnight sky above Raccoon Springs. Sleep eluded him, but it could only be attributed to anticipation. As much as he had desired to leave his family and make a name for himself, now he could not wait for their familiar faces. For his mother’s warm, accepting embrace and Joseph’s optimism and teasing. He could not wait to unite the family that he had grown up with to the family that had found him, the one God had created for him.
