Chapter 18

CHAPTER 18

A s Jonah walked through the cabin's main room, Dinah and Lillian worked in the kitchen. Jericho stopped to talk with his wife while Jude, Gil, and Miles filed outside to get on with the day's work.

Where was Patsy?

He started to approach Lillian to ask if she'd come down from the loft yet, but a quiet voice drifted in from outside. Gil's teasing tone answered, raising Jonah's hackles a little. Of course his brother could talk to Patsy, but the childish part of him had wanted to be the first one to see her this morning. The first to look into her eyes and see if darkness lingered there.

He reached the doorway in three long strides and stepped outside, squinting against the bright sunlight.

Patsy was walking to the house with a basket in her hand, but she stopped when she saw him. They stood a few steps apart, her gaze meeting his. "Morning." Her voice came soft, heavy with fatigue.

"Morning." He itched to reach for her, to pull her into his arms and hold her close. But he wouldn't overwhelm her. "How are you feeling? "

She shrugged, her gaze drifting away. "I'm all right. Just tired."

"Did you sleep well? I wasn't sure after..." Was it better to bring up all the hard events or wait for her to do so?

She looked back at him, her expression turning wry. "Sure. Like a baby."

He didn't miss the playful sarcasm. In her defense, it had been a stupid question.

She shrugged. "I'm not sure I slept at all, to be honest."

He nodded. "Understandable."

This was too awkward, standing by the stoop, trying to have a serious conversation. He needed to spend time with her. He also needed to go see what was left of his cabin. Would that be hard for her to see? Probably. It'd be hard enough on him, yet having her there would make the loss easier to take.

He nodded that direction. "Would you like to walk with me? I'm going to see what can be salvaged."

Her gaze turned uncertain, yet there was a spark of interest too. "Let me just take this basket inside."

Jonah waited, his heart thumping. He wanted to be strong for her, to help her through the aftermath of last night. But he longed for her comfort too. Did that make him weak, or just human?

She emerged a minute later, her expression a mix of determination and vulnerability. They fell into step, heading down the hill. The sun was already turning hot, but Patsy wrapped her arms around herself.

She looked so fragile. He needed to find a way to broach the subject of last night.

He cleared his throat. "Do you want to talk about it? About what happened?"

She glanced at him, her eyes shadowed. "I don't know what to say. It all feels like a nightmare. "

He nodded. "I can only imagine, the way that man attacked you." A fresh round of bile churned in his belly. "I'm so sorry I didn't stop him that day at the creek."

Her steps slowed, and she turned to face him. "You saved my life, Jonah. Both at the creek and last night." She swallowed hard. "It was a miracle, the way you showed up just in time."

His heart pounded. Was God creating an opening for him to share his faith? "I think so too. You know God sees you. He's there, even when we don't cry out to Him."

Something like a smile slipped into her eyes. "I did pray for help. When that man had his hands around my neck, I knew nothing could save me except a miracle. I prayed for help." She frowned. "I didn't pray out loud, though. Does that matter?"

Joy wove through him, and a smile lifted his tired muscles. "He knows our thoughts. He heard you. And He saved you."

"Yes, He did." But she looked away, blinking rapidly. "I just wish I didn't have to kill…"

"I know." He touched her arm. "You did what you had to do to save us all. I'm grateful God gave you that strength. I'm grateful you were so brave. I'm grateful for you ."

She met his gaze again, her eyes bright with unshed tears. A single one broke through her barrier and slipped down her cheek.

He brushed it away with his thumb, letting his hand linger against her soft skin. His pulse picked up speed. Just the feel of this woman brought all his senses to life.

She must have felt the same, for she leaned into his touch. Her eyes…those eyes drew him body and heart. At the moment, they held so much turmoil, yet there was an inner strength. A solidness that shone through even during this hard time.

"Patsy…" He swallowed the emotion that rose. "I don't know what I would have done if we hadn't gotten to you in time." His voice graveled, but he got the words out.

Her eyes searched his. "I was so afraid. I was afraid I wouldn't see you again. That I wouldn't…"

Another tear trailed down, and she looked so vulnerable and honest and beautiful.

He pulled her to him, wrapping his arms around her, and she buried her face against his chest. Her forehead fit in the hollow of his neck so perfectly, as if she were meant to be right there. Was she trembling? He stroked her hair. "It's all right, my love. We're safe. Both of us."

This. This was what he'd needed ever since he'd seen that monster choking her. His arms around her, breathing in her scent, burying his face in her rich auburn hair.

She was home. No matter what burned to the ground or was stripped away from him, as long as he could wrap his arms around Patsy, he would be fine. And she was opening her heart to the Lord, seeing Him work for her good.

Thank You, Father.

No matter what Jonah had lost last night, with this woman in his arms, all was right in his world.

T ears pricked Patience's eyes as Jonah held her close. This was exactly what she'd needed, what she'd longed for. His arms around her, the comfort of his strength.

Ever since she'd first spotted that man last night, she'd craved the safety of Jonah's presence.

But as much as she wanted to, she couldn't stay like this forever. They had to face the reality of Jonah's destroyed cabin.

She forced herself to ease back, then glanced down the trail toward the ruins of his cabin. "What will you do now? With the cabin, I mean."

"I guess we should have a look, see how bad the damage is."

They continued along the path. As they approached the scorched remnants, Jonah slowed, finally coming to a halt beside her.

The sight must be a punch to the gut. The roof had completely caved in, leaving only charred beams reaching toward the sky like blackened fingers. Most of the walls were gone, too, reduced to piles of rubble. Soot and ash coated everything.

The only things left standing were the stone chimney and the new cast iron cookstove, now stood like sad survivors amid the destruction.

Her chest ached for Jonah. All the hours he'd poured into crafting the place into a home, all his hopes for the future, incinerated in a single night.

She wanted to weep for him, for all he'd lost. But he probably needed her strength right now, not her tears, just as he'd been strength for her moments ago. Reaching out, she slipped her cool hand into his large, calloused one. If only there were more she could do to help, to somehow make this devastating blow more bearable.

He squeezed her fingers, his grip almost painful. They stood like that for a long moment, the world silent and still except for the wind sighing through the trees.

Finally, Jonah let out a heavy breath, his broad shoulders sagging. "Guess there's not much that can be saved."

Her heart twisted at the weariness and resignation in his tone. She understood what it meant to lose everything, to start over. She'd done that once before.

"Will you rebuild here?" She spoke the question softly.

Jonah faced her, his blue eyes searching hers with an intensity that made her breath catch. The air between them seemed to thicken, heavy with unspoken words and emotions.

"What is it?" she finally whispered, unable to bear the tension.

He cradled her face, his thumb skimming across her cheekbone. "I'm not sure if it's too soon to say this…"

Her middle churned as worry slipped in. "Please, just be open with me. I want to know what you're thinking, no matter what it is."

He let out a slow exhale, and his eyes softened. "All through the night, I've been wondering if maybe the cabin burning down was a hidden blessing. I started building back when I thought I'd marry Naomi. But after she broke things off, it became a reminder of everything I'd lost, a symbol of the bitterness and loneliness that consumed me."

Pain crossed his face, and the weight in her chest pressed so hard that she could barely draw air. She knew exactly what he meant—all too well.

His gaze turned earnest again. "It wasn't fair of me to ask you to join me here one day. Not in a place with roots tangled in that old pain. You deserve so much more, Patsy. Something built just for you, for us."

Oh.

He was talking about her living here, with him. Which…of course she'd known, maybe, someday… He was courting her. Even so, to dream of it, to hope for it…

They were pale comparisons to what was happening now, with this man looking at her like he was. Wanting her like he did, like she didn't deserve.

Tears blurred her vision. Jonah was too good. Didn't he remember where he'd met her? Didn't he remember the saloon? The…ugliness of her?

His voice turned rough with emotion. "I'm going to court you proper. I'll give you all the time you need. But I fully intend to make you my wife, if you'll have me." The love in his gaze took her breath and any words she might have managed. "And you don't have to give up your dreams to be with me. Now that I'm not tied to this ill-fated place, we can find a new home. Our life, together, can be anywhere we choose."

He lifted her hand to his mouth and pressed a kiss to the back of it. "Whatever you want, wherever that takes us, I'll move heaven and earth to make it happen. Your happiness is what matters most to me."

A sob caught in her throat. How was it possible that this incredible man had come into her life? That he could be so selfless, so willing to put her first?

"Jonah." She choked out his name, then inhaled a breath so she could speak clearly. "All I ever wanted was a home of my own. A safe haven where I wouldn't have to worry about living up to other people's expectations. All I wanted was the freedom to be…me. To not be perfect."

"But you are perfect—for me." Jonah kissed her forehead, the corner of her eye. "Perfectly beautiful and perfectly human and…I wouldn't change anything."

His words made her chest swell almost to bursting. She lifted her palm to his rough jaw. "I thought I needed a pretty white cottage in a green meadow to be happy. But I was wrong. I found my home in you, Jonah. God brought Anna here, and he sent you to find me and bring me to this place. I don't need anything else. Just the two of us together. And Him."

"Patsy." Jonah's voice was rough with emotion. The love in his eyes was so intense, so rich, that her knees went weak. He drew her into his arms, cradling her against his warm chest. She clung to him.

"I don't deserve you." His breath was warm against her hair. "But I'll thank God every day for the rest of my life for bringing you to me."

She tilted her head back, meeting his gaze. The longing in his warm blue eyes reflected of her own. In Jonah, she'd found a future she'd never dared to dream of.

She laid her head on his shoulder, and the rest of the world fell away. The burned-out cabin, the uncertain future, the hardships in their pasts—none of it mattered.

For the first time in her life, Patience knew with absolute certainty that she was exactly where she was meant to be, in the arms of the man she loved, the man who loved her in return. The man who would stand by her side, no matter what challenges lay ahead. A man whose God she knew she could trust.

Here with Jonah, she was home.