He nodded. "But you didn't need to make a fuss. I'd have been okay."
"You don't think someone should make a fuss when someone else is having trouble breathing?"
Shrugging, he looked away. "I'd have been fine in a minute."
"I see." She handed him the pills. "I'll leave you now. It's evident you don't need me anymore."
"You'll make someone a wonderful wife one day," he told her, finally meeting her eyes. "That was really amazing the way you took care of me."
She folded her arms across her chest and regarded him."But you don't really want or need someone to do that for you, do you?"
"They have this phrase they use to recruit soldiers in my world," he said slowly. "They say they'll teach you how to be 'an Army of one.' They did."
He got up and walked away, going over to the barn to talk to the other men, leaving Hannah to stand there and stare after him.
"So you had an interesting time today, ya?" Phoebe asked Chris as she drove them home a little while later.
"You could say that," Chris agreed.
"I am so sorry," Phoebe told him. "I'm sure Sadie feels terrible that she made you sick. She'll know to tell people what's in the cookies next time."
"It happens."
"What did you think of the service?"
"It was long." He glanced at her. "Sorry, I shouldn't have said that."
She pulled the buggy to the side of the road to let an impatient automobile driver pass them.
"There's nothing wrong with the truth," she said, guiding Daisy to pull them back onto the road. "The services are long.But they're every other week."
"Really?"
She chuckled. "Ya."
"So what do you do on the alternate Sundays?"
"Visit friends. Read. Take a nap."
"Sounds good," he said, stretching out his legs. He didn't know if it was the meal, the Benadryl, or the peaceful ride in a buggy, but he was nodding off.
"Especially the nap right now, eh?"
"Yes."
"Don't go to sleep!" Hannah spoke up from the backseat.
Chris blinked awake. He glanced back over the seat and found her watching him with some apprehension.
"Why not?" he asked, deliberately teasing her.
Hannah glared at him but when Phoebe looked over her shoulder, she quickly schooled her features.
"If you fall asleep, we'll just have to wake you up in a few minutes when we get home. Or try to drag you out of the buggy."
He gave Hannah a careless grin before he turned back in his seat.
13
Aenti Hannah? You need to come see Daisy."
Hannah turned and looked at Joshua. "Why?"
"I think she's sick."
"Let's go take a look." Hannah wiped her hands on a dish cloth and followed Joshua out of the house. She'd been so busy canning she hadn't noticed the time.
Daisy, indeed, did not look well. She was stumbling and bumping against her stall, and her eyes were wide and unfocused.Her skin looked clammy too.
"Daisy? Poor thing, you're not feeling well?"
One look in her stall and Hannah saw that Daisy hadn't touched her food or water last night.
"Joshua, go get your daedi," Hannah said quietly.
Her nephew went flying from the stall and ran smack into Chris.
"Daisy's sick," Joshua told him. "I have to get daedi."
"Matthew's gone to town." Chris moved closer. "Is there anything I can do? We had horses on the farm."
Hannah walked closer to the horse and raised her hand to touch her to check for fever. The horse, normally a placid mare, reacted with wide rolling eyes and reared back, showing her teeth.
An arm wrapped around Hannah's waist and she was swept up and off her feet, away from the horse. The world spun.
"What—" she sputtered as she realized Chris had lifted her as if she weighed as little as her niece Annie.
"You were about to get hurt!"
"Daisy wouldn't hurt me!" she protested. "We've had her for years."
He set her down, safely away from the horse.
"Sssh, there, girl," he said to the horse as he moved closer slowly, very slowly. "You wouldn't have meant to hurt Hannah, but you're feeling very sick, aren't you?"
Hannah pressed a hand to her heart and felt it racing at the sudden protective movement Chris had made. She didn't want to admit it, but he was probably right. Daisy wasn't acting like herself at all, and she'd known a momentary fear when the horse reared back like that.
It was the second time he'd reacted with such speed and strength to protect her.
"I don't think Matthew's intending to be back for a couple of hours."
Hannah looked at Daisy and bit her lip. "Joshua, go get Phoebe. Be quick."