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When the last verse ended, Jesse opened his eye.

“She kept playing that night,” he said.

“Izzy told us.”

“She had to. They’d have noticed if she stopped.”

“And you made sure she knew.”

His mouth tightened. “Couldn’t keep the men from hurting Peter. Or me.”

Eden resisted the familiar urge to list everything he’d done right. The investigation had already answered that question, and he knew it.

“Would you like to speak with Izzy?” she asked.

Jesse considered it. “Ask her to come in tomorrow. When I’m not such poor company.”

“I’ll ask.”

He squeezed her hand once before releasing it. “Thank you for coming back.”

Eden stood, taking up the hymnal. At the doorway, she paused.

“Jesse?”

“Yeah?”

“If you still wish to court me when you’re out of this bed, you may ask properly.”

He stared at her. Then that familiar grin returned.

“I’ll remember.”

“I’ll write it down if you need me to.”

“Mean woman.”

Eden left him smiling.

In the front room, Izzy sat with both hands pressed together over the closed hymnal.

“He heard you,” Eden said. “He’d like you to visit tomorrow.”

“Really?”

“Yes. He wants to tell you himself you did well.”

Izzy’s eyes filled, but she held her chin up.

Eden stepped aside so the girl could see the open sickroom door. She could hear Jesse asking Nate if a fellow could have his hair combed again without surrendering the rest of his dignity.

For the first time since arriving in Flat River, Eden wondered what it might be like to know Jesse outside that room—and knew she wanted to find out.

Chapter Fifteen

Eden had barely set the book she was reading to Jesse’s book on the table when the clinic door slammed against the wall.

Bass came in with Simon at his heels. Whit Hartman followed, rain shining on the shoulders of his coat. The three men had the same grim purpose in their faces.