she said, “I’ll let you tell Teddy.” She carried the water to the barn.
Teddy turned to them as they entered, his expression tight as if he expected Caleb to insist they had to leave.
Caleb’s insides warmed at his ability to give his son one small gift—a yes to his request to stay. He squatted in front of him. “Teddy, I’ve decided we can stay until tomorrow evening. Then I’ll have to go back to work and you’ll have to come with me.”
“One day?”
“I’m afraid that’s all we have.”
Teddy sighed softly. “Then God will have to make Blossom better in one day.”
Caleb blinked. How could his son have any faith left after all the praying that had been done over him to no avail? But he would not rob his son of it. Please, God, honor the faith of this little one.
“I brought water.” Lilly had poured some into a little dish.
“Can I give it to her?” Teddy reached for the dish.
“Of course you can. In fact, I think she might prefer it.”
She helped him place the dish close to Blossom’s nose.
Grub came over and lapped at the water. Lilly pulled him close to her. “I’ll fill your dish in a minute. Let me help this little girl first.”
Grub plunked down at her side and watched. “Good dog.”
Caleb had his doubts about Grub’s qualifications as a guard dog, but he certainly passed with flying colors as a friendly, obedient pet.
Teddy leaned over Blossom, patting her head. “Come on, Blossom. You have to drink so you can get better. We don’t want you fading away to a shadow, do we?”
Lilly choked back a chuckle.
Teddy was repeating something Caleb had said often when Teddy was mending and didn’t want to eat. “At least he listened to some of what I said.”
She laughed. “I expect he takes in everything you say and do.”
Caleb nodded, smiling at his son, filling with pure pleasure. With a jolt he realized he’d been so focused on getting help for Teddy’s injured leg he had almost forgotten the joy that came from simply spending time with him. He opened his mouth, about to thank Lilly, for he knew it was because of her calmness in dealing with Teddy and Blossom that some of his tension had disappeared.
He closed his mouth again. How could he possibly hope to explain this feeling?
He studied Lilly out of the corner of his eye. She bent over Blossom, murmuring encouragement to the dog. She touched Teddy’s head to encourage him as well. Grub pressed to her side.
It hit him like a sledgehammer.
This was a woman made for giving and receiving love. Not that he should care. But for her sake he was glad he would only be there one day, lest she begin to care for him more than she should. He did not want to think he would bring sorrow or heartache into her life, as he’d done to others’.
He could list a whole lot of times people had been hurt because of him. Most of the events he hadn’t thought of until after Amanda’s murder, and then the memory of them had returned with a vengeance, as if to reprimand him for having forgotten them.
The time he lied about taking eggs to one of Ma’s customers, instead having broken them while chasing a gopher. The customer had berated Ma publicly and Ma had gone home crying.
Then there was the time at school when he’d pulled a chair out when his friend Toby had gone to sit down and Toby had banged his head. Caleb had laughed until he realized Toby had taken a long time to bounce up again.
He would not continue to list his guilty deeds. Suffice it to say Caleb knew he was bad news to those who happened to have the misfortune of hanging around him.
He’d be extra careful while at the Bells so they wouldn’t pay a price for helping him. Though it was Teddy they meant to help.
* * *
Blossom lapped the water a few times and then ignored it.
“That’s a real good start.” Lilly patted Teddy on the head and pushed to her feet. “I’ll go to the house and get Ma’s tonic.” She had only made it to the barn door when Rose came out of the house and trotted toward them, carrying a dish. “Pa told us about the injured dog. I made that gruel you like.”
She handed Lilly the dish and the bottle of tonic. Her look blared a challenge.
Lilly knew exactly what she was wondering. Why is a Caldwell cowboy here and why are you helping him? She backed up so Rose could step into the barn.
“Rose, you remember Caleb Craig and his son, Teddy?”
Rose snorted so softly Lilly hoped she was the only one to hear it. “The Caldwell cowboy from town. I’m not likely to forget.” Her piercing look said, But it seems you are.
Caleb set Teddy behind him and got to his feet to face Lilly and Rose. “Sorry to intrude on your fight about the Caldwells, but we found this dog and my son instantly claimed him. Your sister kindly offered to help.”
Rose met his gaze. Neither of them blinked as Lilly held her breath, wondering who would relent first.
Caleb spoke again. “She’s even offered to let us stay the night so Blossom here can rest.”
Oh, no. Now Rose would blurt out how much she disliked the Caldwells.
Rose blinked. “Blossom?”
“The dog.”
“Overnight?” She glared at Lilly.
Lilly smiled, not at all deterred by her sister’s shock. Rose would soon realize that Teddy and Blossom needed their help.
Caleb shifted his gaze to Lilly and gave her a smile full of gratitude. “Your sister is very generous.” Beyond the smile, Lilly glimpsed an ocean’s depth of sorrow.
She couldn’t look away. This man had every reason in the world to have a furrowed forehead. She shivered at the thought of everything that had happened to him.
If it had been possible, she would have applied one of Ma’s healing balms to this man’s heart.
“Oh, fine,” Rose grumbled, and moved toward Blossom and Teddy. “So this is the dog you found.”
“She’s mine,” Teddy said.
“Then I’d say she is very fortunate.”
Lilly smiled. Rose might have been one to fight and sputter, but she didn’t have an unkind bone in her body.
Caleb looked at the thin mixture Rose had made—oats cooked with meat broth—and shuddered. “I sure hope you mean that for Blossom.”
The twins laughed,
