The House on Blackberry Hill (Jewell Cove 1)

“Josh is a doctor. He should have a look.” She frowned. “Tom should have taken you to him in the first place. Oh, well. At least fences seem mended now.”

Josh approached, followed by Tom and Bryce.

“Take a look at Abby, will you, Josh?”

Josh knelt down and examined her knees. “Good Lord. How did you do this?”

She met his alarmed gaze. “Trying to crawl out of a falling building. I didn’t quite make it.”

He peeled off the remaining gauze and tape. Tom put his hand on her shoulder as she winced at the gentle touch. “She had splinters, but I think I got them all out.”

“A falling building, huh?”

“Lightning hit the old Prescott barn,” Tom explained.

“And Tom pulled me out,” Abby replied, reaching up and squeezing his hand. “Did I actually say thank you yet?”

He squeezed back in return.

Josh frowned. “You’re okay otherwise?”

“I think so. There’s a small cut on my leg.”

“You should have your tetanus updated if you haven’t in a while. I’ll see to it, okay?”

“Josh, really, I—”

He put his hand on her ankle. “It’s the least I can do. Besides, it’ll keep me busy. I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

Meggie gently replaced the bandage, anchoring the tape and rolling down the cuffs of the pants. Abby’s eyes stung. Twice today people had tended to her with care. Right now Abby was feeling rather mothered, and it was something she’d missed more than she realized.

Tom went to put his cup in the garbage. “You’re really selling the house?” Meggie asked, sounding disappointed.

The question made Abby uncomfortable. She really didn’t know anymore. Why did it seem to matter to everyone? “It’s awfully big for one person. I didn’t know much about my family when I got here, but I’ve filled in the blanks, which is what I set out to do. There’s no reason for me to stay.”

Meggie looked at Tom. “Isn’t there?”

Josh returned with fresh materials and in no time he had her knees rebandaged and she’d endured a tetanus shot. She felt silly, knowing she was fine while Sarah was the one in the hospital room going through hell. But she let Tom’s family baby her just this once. Once she was squared away, Tom offered to go out and pick up some food for everyone. Bryce went with him and Josh went to speak to the doctor.

Jess came out of Sarah’s room. “I’m going to take Mark to pick up the kids,” Jess said. Her eyes looked tired and slightly red. “Mom, she wondered if you’d go with me and pick up some of her things for the night.”

“I’ll sit with her for a while,” Abby said, rising. “I can’t do much, but I can get her something if she needs it.”

“Thank you, Abby,” Jess said. “I don’t want her to be alone.”

Abby went into the room, her steps tentative. Sarah was in the bed, covered to her armpits in a white sheet and wearing a hospital johnny shirt. Abby sat on the edge of the bed, struggling not to cry herself. Maybe she’d never lost a baby, but she was no stranger to grief. She took Sarah’s hand in hers.

“I am so, so sorry,” she said quietly.

Sarah looked up at Abby and tears filled her eyes.

“You don’t need to say anything,” Abby whispered, knowing that there were times that words just didn’t seem to help when a heart was in despair. Sarah put her head back against the pillow and Abby watched, helpless, as a tear squeezed out of Sarah’s eye and rolled along her cheek to the pillow.

And then Abby sat there, just holding Sarah’s hand as she cried it out, until Sarah’s eyelids finally closed and she slid into an emotionally exhausted sleep.

CHAPTER 21

“Tom, can I ask your opinion about something?”