She held her hand out in front of her. Sure enough, the plaster on her cast had scraped up the backs of her fingers as she’d scrambled away from Gabe.
“It hurts.”
“I know. Let’s go up to the house. I’ll take care of you.”
Justin ran down the driveway as the bus pulled out. Grandma Dee jogged from the house and intercepted him on the driveway, glancing over her shoulder at Gillian lying in the field, her eyes filled with concern.
Justin held up a colorful painted picture and said, “Gillian, come see.”
“He can’t see me like this,” Gillian said to Blake and Gabe.
Grandma Dee distracted Justin, oohing and aahing over his picture while she led him to the house with a promise of fresh baked cookies.
“Gillian, can you get up and walk with me to the house?” Blake asked.
She sucked in a breath, tucked her good leg under her, planted her hands on the ground, and used her good leg to boost herself up to standing. She put her weight on her bad leg, testing out her aching knee. It hurt. Tired of being in pain, she glanced up and caught Blake’s steady gaze, his whole body tensed to rush to her aid if she faltered. She wanted him to come to her, but her going to him would go a long way to easing his mind. With barely a glance at Gabe standing behind Blake, she limped to Blake and didn’t stop until she reached him. He waited for her, not moving a muscle until she walked right into his chest, reached up around his neck, and held him close. He wrapped his arms around her, his fingers diving into her hair.
“Are you okay?”
“No, but I’m getting better by the second.”
“You really scared me. I heard you scream, and I thought you were really in trouble.”
“I thought I was, too. Something happened. My mind played tricks on me again. He didn’t look like him anymore. He looked like my dad and reached for me. I heard the gunshot and smelled the gunpowder. I panicked. I needed to get away.”
“You’re safe here, sweetheart. I’ll never let anything happen to you.”
“I know. I saw you nearly knock your brother right off his feet.”
“I’d kill anyone who touched you.” Blake hugged her close.
“I believe that.”
“But I don’t scare you.”
“No. Well, sometimes, but not in that way.”
“You never have to be afraid of me for any reason.”
“I’m trying, Blake. I know you’re impatient for me to come around and be normal—”
“Stop. I don’t think that at all. Today is nothing more than your mind still trying to process what happened. Maybe you need to talk to a professional.”
She didn’t want to, but she stepped back. He didn’t let her completely out of his embrace but kept his hands banded at her back. She slid her hands down his shoulders and rested them on his huge biceps. So much strength, yet he held her in a gentle embrace she could break if she wanted to, though she didn’t feel the need. His smile settled her. The warmth in his eyes eased her heart and erased the last of the fear running through her blood.
“No. I’m fine.”
“Gillian, you’re fine most of the time, but I know you think about it. I see it in your eyes sometimes. I bet you even dream about it.”
“This happened before,” she admitted.
“When we went shopping in town,” Blake guessed. “And again when you went to town with Dee three days ago.”
“I thought I saw him.”
“He’s dead and gone, sweetheart. He can’t hurt you anymore.”
“I don’t want to dwell in the past. I’m moving forward. Yes, this is a step back, but I’m not going crazy. We don’t need to call in the white coats and straightjacket.”
“I never said anything like that. I want you to be happy and see this incident lift from your shoulders so that it’s a real part of your past and not part of your every day.”
“I’m getting there.” She’d thought she was further along in this process. Yes, it was a process. Some days she couldn’t stop thinking about it, others she went hours without a thought, an image, a reminder. Blake’s frown made her add, “It’s only been a couple of weeks. If things get worse, I’ll see someone.”
“And you’ll be honest with me. If you’re having a bad day, tell me. Maybe I can help. The least I can do is be with you, distract you from your thoughts and make you smile.”
“Like when we go riding together and you tell me stories about you and your brothers.”
No one had ever cared enough about how she felt to offer to help her, let alone simply be there for her if she needed them.