Covered Bridge Charm (18 page)

“What about her faith? Is she forgetting about God?”

“We can trust God to keep His own.”

Carly nodded. Trust God. Could she trust God with Dot? Trust Him enough to forgive Simon? When Adam hopped out of the truck to take care of her bike, she meant to follow him, but it felt so good to just rest a moment. She closed her eyes, startled when the door suddenly burst open.

“Carly?”

She shook her head. “I’m sorry. I was so comfortable, I drifted off.”

“Poor thing. You’re exhausted. Let me help you.”

He touched her arm, and she shrank back with pain. “Oh, no.”

“What?” “I forgot about my prescription. One of the residents scratched me, and it’s infected. But Linda called in a prescription.”

His gaze lifted from her arm and shot to her beaded forehead. He touched her brow with the back of his hand, and she leaned into his touch, shamelessly.

“You’ve got a fever. Let’s get you inside, and then I’ll go for the prescription.”

“Don’t want to trouble you,” she mumbled.

Cocoa greeted them and went to his food box and started thumping.

Carly grabbed the back of a chair to steady herself. “Cocoa won’t settle down until I feed him. I’m late, and he’s hungry.”

Adam helped her out of her coat, replying. “Just sit down and tell me where the food is. I’ll take care of him.”

Unable to argue, Carly slumped into the nearest chair. She’d never make it outside to get to Cocoa’s hay, and she was too sick to give Adam those instructions. “Just fill his dish with pellets. There’s a bag in the laundry room.” She listened to the scuffling and drifted off again, awakening to Adam stroking her forehead.

“Can you take this pill?”

She blinked and stared at the bottle in his hand. “You already went to the pharmacy?”

“Jah. And Cocoa seems nervous.”

“Jah, prey animals sense when others are anxious or things aren’t right.” She glanced at the floor to see the rabbit next to her and smiled.

“You need to take this.”

She nodded, accepting the pill and water he offered. “Thanks. I can’t believe I’m suddenly so weak.”

“I’m taking you to your room.” She pushed up with her arms to stand and flinched at the pain. “Like this.” Suddenly he swept her into his arms.

She gave a small gasp but didn’t argue because she needed his help. She would be immensely enjoying this if she wasn’t so sick.

“Sweet Carly,” he whispered near her ear. “Always helping others. Never taking care of yourself.”

“That’s not true,” she smiled, savoring his closeness.

Feeling protective, Adam lowered Carly on top of a yellow quilt, turned on the light and looked around the room.

“You shouldn’t be in here.”

She’d read his mind. For he was thinking about stretching out next to her and cradling her. “Probably not. But you know you’re safe with me.”

“Am I?”

He sank onto the bed beside her and started untying her shoes. He placed them on the floor, and when he returned, she’d removed her covering. Using restraint, he pulled back the covers for her and helped her get settled.

“Cocoa,” she mumbled.

He lifted the distraught rabbit to the foot of her bed. It grunted and hopped up to check out Carly’s face. After licking her, it hopped back to the foot of the bed and began nesting. Knowing he’d never get this image out of his head and relieved she hadn’t loosened her hair, he quickly stood. “I’ll fetch you a glass of water.” When he returned, she stirred.

“Thanks.”

“I’m going to lock your door and take your key. I’ll give it to your aunt when I stop by to tell her you’re sick. So don’t be alarmed if she lets herself in during the night.”

“Late,” Carly sighed. “Better go.”

He hesitated. Then leaned down and kissed her brow. “Get better, sweetheart.”

Carly drifted in and out of sleep, trembling and unable to find warmth even beneath the pile of covers Auntie had piled atop her yellow quilt. Wild dreams of anything but sugarplums danced through her head, one reoccurring. There was a chasm, and Sweet Life was perched on a cliff on the other side. It was too far for her to leap across, and she knew the only way to reach the other side was to fly. A myriad of winged sinister beings and beautiful beings offered their assistance to fly her across the gorge. She knew she needed to choose wisely, and she struggled with this decision throughout the night chills and sweats. The residents needed her, and at times they cheered her on, but she knew she was failing them. Until one of the winged beings took on Adam’s image. She ran to him. “Are you sure we can fly?”

“Trust me.”

But always she awoke before flying across the gorge.

At last she awakened to the touch of a cold wet cloth on her brow. Slowly, she opened her eyes. “Auntie.”

“Here, drink this.”

The cool water felt good against her cracked lips. “You came.”

“Of course. When Adam told me how sick you were, I came right away. But you had a rough night of it.”

She pushed damp hair away from her face. “What time is it?”

“About nine o’clock.”

“I’m late for work.”

Auntie chuckled. “I called Sherie. Don’t think I’m letting you go to work. Not after all that mumbling about the Death Angel.”

Bits of her jumbled dreams came to mind. “Thanks. I kept having this weird dream.” She shared the bits she could remember.

“How dreadful. I’m thankful it was just a dream. You had me worried. Let’s look at your arms.”

As she stretched them out for Auntie’s examination, she was amazed how weak she felt.

“They don’t look good.”

Carly understood the reason for her frightening dream. “Did Adam tell you Dot was missing?”

“Jah. That she was just under her bed.”

“She told me she was hiding from the Death Angel. That his eyes were evil.”

“Of all things!” Auntie exclaimed.

“I don’t know how to help her.”

“You must remember that we all choose the paths for our lives. Dot’s had a lifetime to deal with her fears. Everything intensifies in old age. Now it has her in bondage. That’s why a person needs to grow in the Lord along the way.”

“But you can’t blame Dot. It’s her dementia.”

“I’m sure it plays a big part in Dot’s problems. I’m just saying you can’t fix everything.”

“She has always depended upon Crusher. Now she lives alone.”

“The Lord was good to allow Crusher to be there for her.”

Carly nodded and took the pill that Auntie offered.

“That rabbit’s been a mess. Thumping. Nudging and nipping me. Tell me what it needs.”

Carly laughed. “Cocoa’s worried about me, and he missed his hay last night. But he should be satisfied with pellets.”

“Well it isn’t, because I tried that.”

After explaining that the hay was in a box between her bike and the woodpile, she snuggled against a fresh pillowcase, feeling drowsy.

The next time she opened her eyes, she was alone. But she could hear the clattering of pots and pans, grateful Auntie was making herself at home. She slowly sat up and moved to the side of her bed. In the kitchen, Auntie was bent over the stove.

“That smells good.”

“You want to lay on the couch?”

Carly nodded, and Auntie rushed to get her a pillow and covers. “Your neighbor lady saw me outside this morning and wondered if you were all right. So I told her you were sick. We got to talking, and she ended up bringing me this chicken to make soup.”

“She keeps an eye out for me. Waters for me sometimes and tells me when I forget to put on my covering. That kind of stuff.”

Auntie gave her a horrified expression which quickly turned into a grin.

“Sorry if the cupboards are kinda bare. I only get what fits in my bike basket. But it’s enough for me.”

“Not that bare. I found the noodles!” Auntie smiled. “You’ve got it nice here. Except for that pesky rabbit.”

Later, after having some of the soothing chicken noodle soup, Carly told Auntie how Sherie wanted her to make cold calls using a script. Auntie slapped the counter with a dish towel and mumbled under her breath. Then she joined Carly at the table.

“Do you want to be involved with the volunteers?”

“Jah.”

“If you do as she asks, maybe she’ll give you the responsibility you want.”

“I suppose. I’ve tried to forgive, but it’s hard.”

“Always is. But I’ve never known you to hold a grudge before. It’s not like you.”

“I’ve never wanted anything so badly before.”

Auntie laughed. “You have. The difference is, you usually get your way.”

Shocked, Carly asked, “You think I’m spoiled?”

“Jah. We both are.”

“I’m selfish, too. Have you been working on your quilt patterns?”

“Of course. I’m not letting one measly editor quash my dream.”

“Then I’m not letting one measly director quash mine.”

O
n Sunday, Carly stayed home from church to recuperate, determined to return to work on Monday. Though she’d rather tend her garden, her weakness kept her inside. She dug out the cozy mystery novel Miranda had loaned her. She’d started it one evening when she couldn’t sleep but had put it aside because she wasn’t sure if solving a murder was appropriate reading for a nonresistant believer. But boredom had driven her to get it out again. Now she was into the story and had to find out who had killed Lady Elizabeth and stuffed her in the maid’s trunk.

Cocoa suddenly stilled, alert and listening. When the doorbell rang, he leapt off the couch and hopped under the table, one of his favorite hiding places. Setting aside the novel, Carly went to the door.

“Adam!”

He wore an irresistible but sheepish grin. “You’re looking better.”

“Come in.” She felt suddenly self-conscience with the memory of him carrying her to her room and tucking her in bed. Kissing her forehead. Had she dreamed he’d called her sweetheart? She quickly turned so he couldn’t read her expression.

He went to the couch, and she took the chair. “I’m much better. Thanks for everything the other night.”

“I’ve been worried about you.”

She shrugged. “No need. Auntie filled me with pills and chicken soup.”

“Your arms?”

Her face heated. “Better.”

“I talked to your aunt in church.” He appeared restless.

“Did I miss anything good?”

“Just a sermon on forgiveness.”

Carly sighed. “I should’ve been there.”

“Jah. It was one I needed for sure.” He seemed introspective, then turned his dark gaze on her and spoke with tenderness. “Just wanted to see you, I guess.” Her breath caught as they looked into each other’s eyes and read the yearning. Then he shifted his gaze across the room. “You have a nice place here.”

“I’m lucky the owner let me fix it up.”

“My sisters try to fix up my old house. They take turns cleaning it.”

“I’m sure they spoil you. Must be nice.”

Grinning widely, he said, “It is. I like to be spoiled.”

She wondered how a wife would ever compete with that or if she would even want to, then she quickly cast the thought away. Cocoa had hopped over and now sniffed his shoes. Adam gently lifted him to the couch beside him.

“He doesn’t usually like people to lift him.”

“We made friends the other night.”

“You have any pets?”

“Nope. I like animals, I’m just not home enough to care for them.”

“Rabbits are easy. They have some sort of hierarchy. Cocoa thinks he’s higher than me. I’m his slave, and he gets impatient when I don’t respond quickly.”

“I noticed. You spoil the rabbit like you do the residents.”

“I suppose.” She’d probably spoil Adam, too. Her cheeks burned as she tried to shake off the thought.

He picked up the mystery novel with a sinister-looking baron on the cover and grinned accusingly. “What’s this?”

“Miranda loaned it to me. Said I had to read it because the hero was such a hottie.”

He chuckled. “That sounds like her.” He studied the cover. “So she likes them dark and handsome?”

A pang of jealousy sharpened her tone. “I guess.”

“And you?”

“Jah. And mysterious,” she added.

“Guess that leaves me out. You read me like a dog-eared prayer book.”