When Love's Gone Country - By Merri Hiatt Page 0,34
one is on his side again.”
“Then I’ll go to the well and you stay and wait for Jacob.”
“This is not up for debate. I’m stronger and faster. That’s not meant as some kind of dig against women, it’s just a fact. You’ve got our baby inside you. I don’t want anything to happen to you.”
Purity was about to argue when she saw the pained look in Alex’s eyes. She was concerned about the baby, too, and he was only looking out for them. “This time. But don’t get used to ordering me around. I don’t like it.”
“I know. And I don’t like doing it. I love you.”
“I love you, too.”
They shared a gentle kiss.
“Now, go kick some bad guy ass!” Pure said.
“I plan on it.”
Alex headed toward the east side of the cow paddock while Purity walked back to the ranch hand quarters.
Chapter Twenty
“I wish there was something more I could do,” Purity said, pacing the floor. She prayed again. “Keep them safe, Lord.”
Twenty minutes later, she was standing in front of the fireplace when Jacob came running through the door, out of breath.
“Are you okay?”
“Yeah. They’re not here, right?”
“No.”
Jacob shoved a leather sofa in front of the door.
“I have a knife. I’ll get you one.” Purity entered the kitchen, coming back with two large bread knives. She handed both to Jacob. “It has a serrated edge. I’m thinking that could do some serious damage.”
“Thanks.”
“How’d you get away?”
“They were pretty stupid. I shoved ‘em in the well.”
“How? After the first one went in, didn’t they figure it out?”
“That’s what I said, they’re pretty stupid. I pretended that the first one fell in. I called for the other guys to help, then shoved them in, too.”
“What made you think to go to the well instead of the spring?”
“They kept callin’ it the healin’ well. I remembered where the well was from that day I cut through the sheep paddock. I was hopin’ somebody would figure out what I was doing.”
“Bobby did. He knows you pretty well.”
“I guess.”
“Jacob, I was really worried about you. Why did you put yourself in harm’s way like that?”
“You guys would have done the same thing. I couldn’t let him hurt you, or Mom or Jeremy. How could I live with myself if something happened to any of you guys?”
“Funny, that’s exactly how we feel about you.”
Jacob didn’t say anything.
“How can I help you? What can I do? I’ll do anything. All of us will. We love you, Jacob. We don’t know what to do to make you know that. Not just in your head, but in your heart.
I know there are things in your past that make it hard for you to trust someone. I get that.”
“You don’t. You say you do and I think you mean it, but you don’t know what it’s like. None of you do. I’m glad you don’t. I wouldn’t want anyone to go through what I did, but you guys just can’t understand. You need to stop tryin’. Just leave me alone. That’s the best thing any of you can do for me.”
Purity wanted to wrap her arms around Jacob and never let go. She thought about the baby growing inside her. It could be her own child she was having this conversation with one day. How much harder it must be for Meg and Bobby.
“I can’t promise I’m going to quit trying. And I know I can’t leave you alone. I’m sorry if that’s going to be hard for you. There are people you can trust in this world. That doesn’t mean we won’t get upset with each other now and again, but we’re family. When push comes to shove, we’ll rally around you and push everyone else to the opposite side. That’s a guarantee.”
“Even if I don’t want you to?”
“Even if you don’t want us to. We love you no matter what happens. That’s what family does, and you’re part of our family.”
While Jacob and Purity talked, the rest of the group was easing their way quietly toward the well.
Meg, Bobby and Jeremy were the first to arrive.
“Jacob’s route really was the fastest,” Jeremy said. “We beat everybody else.”
“Or they’ve already been here and left,” Bob said as he surveyed the area.
“They did have a head start on us,” Meg said.
“Did you hear that?” Bob asked. “Listen.”
A faint echoing sound seemed to travel down the dirt path.
Meg squinted. “What is it?”
“There’s Brad and Court,” Jeremy whispered, pointing to the opposite side of the well.
“It wasn’t them, was it?”