“No one’s prayed for me like that since...Gran and Gramps. I...guess I’d forgotten how nice it felt.”
His throat tightened. She’d still have them if only... He gave her hand a warm squeeze. “Let’s eat.”
They ate in silence for a few minutes, then Bec set down her “burger” and reached for her fork. “What happened to the huge trailer Gramps usually kept the car in?”
“That’s over at Pete’s Garage. Your grandfather had some trouble with the car during the last tour he and your Gran took, so while we worked on finding the problem, he sent in the trailer to have the bearings repacked. I can give Pete a call. Ask him to bring it by.”
“I’m just amazed how clean the car stayed sitting out like that. There wasn’t a bird dropping on it.”
A steak morsel lodged in Josh’s throat. He coughed, swallowed hard. “You mean you didn’t pull off the canvas cover?”
“No.”
He set down his knife and fork. He’d just assumed... He clenched his fist. A rookie mistake. After the front-page article the newspaper had run last week about the Graws, every would-be thief in three counties would’ve pegged the whole place as easy pickings until the new owner arrived. But if her assailant had come for the car...
“Are you telling me that Gramps didn’t leave it uncovered?”
Josh surged to his feet and paced to the window that overlooked the rear of the Graw property. Her arrival wouldn’t deter a car thief. He’d have to keep a close watch on the place.
And pray this guy didn’t return when Bec was home alone.
* * *
Becki shrank into the corner of Josh’s couch as he debated with his nurse sister whether she needed to see a doctor.
Even dressed in faded jeans and a black T-shirt, his furrowed brow radiating concern, he exuded a powerful presence. Not to mention he’d grown more handsome than ever. His dark hair no longer curled at his temple the way she remembered, but the trimmed look and broader shoulders reflected a strength and integrity that had clearly deepened in the past fifteen years.
How cruel could God be to let Joshua Rayne find her cowering in the barn as if she was still a twelve-year-old kid?
The kid who’d had a hopeless crush on him—a sixteen-year-old boy who’d had eyes only for her gorgeous older sister.
Not that she’d ever admit to having a crush. Bad enough that she’d tumbled into his arms at the funeral.
Never mind that she’d been a wreck and that when Josh had reached for her hand in the reception line, she’d known, without stopping to think, that he understood her sorrow.
She hugged a sofa pillow to her chest. He hadn’t hesitated a second before wrapping her in his arms, which should’ve been her first clue that he was still playing the protective big brother. At the time, she’d barely registered his whispered reassurances. The grief had been too raw. But now...
She pushed the pillow away. She did not want him thinking she was a helpless female who couldn’t take care of herself.
“Can you recite the months of the year in reverse order for me?” his sister asked.
Becki did, then turned back to Josh. “See. I’m fine.”
“Concussions can suddenly take a turn for the worse,” he argued, holding out his hand for her car keys. “Can’t they, Anne?”
“She’s agreed to stay already!” Anne snatched up Becki’s car keys and slapped them into Josh’s hand. “Go get her suitcase so we can finish the tests in peace.” Her eyes were twinkling when she turned back to Becki. “Just humor him for me, okay? I’m getting a free oil change out of the deal.”
“No way! He bribed you to stay the night?”
Anne giggled. “Not exactly. I offered...in exchange for the oil change. He would’ve done it anyway, but this way we set his mind at ease about your condition and I don’t have to drive the car back until morning.”
“What about your husband? Won’t he mind if you don’t come home?”
“Not married.”
“But...” Becki pointed to the wedding band on Anne’s finger.
Anne splayed her fingers and smirked. “That’s to keep the doctors and patients from hitting on me.”
“You’re kidding.”
“Nope. Now, stand on one foot, hands on hips, eyes closed, until I say stop.”
Becki did as she was told. “I’m surprised Josh hasn’t married yet. When I was here as a kid, there was no shortage of girls mooning over him.” Her younger self included, but Anne didn’t need to know that.
“Yeah, well. He never got over being rejected in favor of life in the big city.”
Was Anne talking about Becki’s sister? He’d had it bad for her that last summer they were here, and Sarah hadn’t discouraged him, even though she was two years older.
“He escaped to the military after that,” Anne went on. “Hasn’t dated much since coming back. The pickings are slim around here, and he won’t dare date a wannabe city girl.”
Considering how the city had changed Sarah, Josh was probably smart to hold out for a country girl.
Anne jotted something on her notepad. “Now tell me all the words you can remember from that list I gave you earlier.”
Becki repeated them all. “Now do you believe me?”
“How’s your headache? Any worse? Feeling dizzy?”
“It still hurts, but no and no.”
“All right, yes, I think you’ll be fine, but don’t tell Josh. It’s nice to see him fretting over someone else for a change.”
“What do you mean?”
“Um.” She bit her lip and glanced toward the door as if he might burst through at any moment. “He’d kill me if I told you.”
“We wouldn’t want that,” Becki drawled, remembering how often her own sister used to preface her secrets with a similar remark. How she missed those days.
“Maybe you could help him stop being so hard on himself,” Anne whispered.
“Me?” Becki caught one of her curls, tugging it straight. “Why would he listen to me?”
Becki didn’t know what to make of the expression that flitted across Anne’s face. Perhaps if she knew her better, but she’d never really met her before today. She’d heard Josh had an older sister, but she’d never been around.
Anne leaned forward and clasped Becki’s hand the same way she had when she’d first arrived and
