“That’s right.” She gave her grandfather a hard look to let him know she meant it.
“Justin, I promise you. You’re safe here. No one is going to hurt you or your sister. If they do, they’ll answer to me,” her grandfather promised.
She appreciated her grandfather’s attempt to reassure him, but he still had to prove it.
“Me, too,” Blake said from behind them. “There are a lot of men who work on this ranch. They all work for your grandfather and me. If someone does or says something to either of you, we’ll take care of it immediately. Is that going to be a problem for you, Gillian? The men on the ranch?”
She didn’t know how to answer that question. She assumed the men who worked on a ranch were probably some rough and rowdy guys. She didn’t know how she’d react if one of them got too close. She didn’t like people too close. Since she didn’t know how to answer him, she shrugged, then wished she hadn’t moved at all. Pain shot through her, and she almost lost her grip on Justin. She set him on his feet and used her hands on her legs to push herself back up to standing. Everyone around her took a few steps closer, wanting to help. She held up her hand to ward them off and stood slowly.
“I’m fine. Let’s go in. Justin’s been fighting a bug. He shouldn’t be out in the cold. He’s running a fever. I don’t want him to get worse.”
Dee and her grandfather walked into the house and left the door open for them to follow. Justin stood at the top of the steps, waiting for her to hobble her way up the five stairs. Blake stood behind her. She was doing the best she could and resented his sticking close to make sure she didn’t stumble on the stairs. Then again, she hated that she might falter in her condition. She couldn’t win. Story of her life.
When she reached the top step, Justin wrapped his arm around her thigh and clung to her as they walked into the house. Man, if she thought the outside was nice, the inside was twice as good. She stepped into a wide room with a fireplace to the left. A huge blaze warmed the room. The smooth stones made the room look and feel homey. Muted cream walls complemented the dark, chunky wood mantel. A soft sage carpet covered the hardwood floor. The brown leather sofa looked comfortable, as did the matching chairs. A television dominated the corner. Justin would appreciate having one to watch. It wasn’t something he’d had often enough for his liking.
Straight ahead, a wide set of stairs led up to the bedrooms. On the left of the stairs, a set of double doors opened into what looked like a library. Bookshelves lined the wall behind the desk. She wondered what kind of books her grandfather preferred. She loved to read. Maybe her grandfather would let her borrow his books. To the right of the stairs, the dining room led to an archway into the bright kitchen. The smell of chili and chocolate chip cookies filled the air. Her stomach couldn’t decide if it wanted to grumble for food or turn over altogether. She hoped she could keep the food down so she could take her meds. She needed them. Bad.
Her grandfather and Dee stood near the entrance to the dining room. Dee, with her sweet voice and smiling face, broke the tension of everyone watching them.
“I thought we could eat first. Then I’ll take you up to your rooms. Justin, there’s a room next to your sister’s with a door between. You can keep it open so you can see her if you like.”
Gillian got a nod even though he was still plastered to her thigh.
“Then let’s take our coats off and sit down for a good meal.” Dee and Bud headed into the kitchen and left everyone else to follow.
Gillian helped Justin off with his coat. She smoothed back his hair and leaned down. “Fever check.” She pressed her lips to his forehead. He put his hands up and held her face as she kissed him. “You’re hot. I think you need more medicine after you eat something.”
Blake thought his heart had already taken a beating, but seeing her kiss Justin to check his temperature made it flip over again.
“You smell like him,” Justin said. A tear slid from his big round eyes.
Gillian stood and wiped away the tears with her thumbs. She pulled the jacket off. “I know. I don’t like it either, but I couldn’t buy a new jacket. I tried to wash it, but there isn’t enough soap and water in the world to get the smell out. I’ll burn this thing as soon as I can afford my own.”
Blake ripped the offending coat from her grasp, walked to the fireplace, and tossed it in to burn. He turned from the fire and saw her for the first time. Her mouth hung open in surprise, but the rest of her held his attention. About five-foot-three. Dee was right, she couldn’t weigh more than a fairy. Her jeans, which she should have filled out nicely, hung on her hips. The simple white T-shirt didn’t hide her soft curves. A bandage wrapped around her upper right arm peeked out from her sleeve.