He's young and tough. Should pull through. " "Should, not will. " But it was more hope than Nora had allowed herself in days and she clung to it like a lifeline. Elias worked with quiet efficiency, steeping the willow bark in hot water, then cooling it enough for the boy to drink. He got several spoonfuls down Tommy's throat, then soaked the cloth in cool water and laid it across the child's forehead. All the while he said little, his face set in grim concentration.
Nora swayed on her feet, watching. The relief of being out of the sun, of seeing her son finally getting care, made the adrenaline that had been keeping her upright drain away all at once. The room tilted. "Sit. " Elias's hand closed around her elbow, steadying her. He guided her to a chair with the same careful handling he'd shown Tommy.
"When did you last eat? " "I" "Yesterday? No, the day before. " "I had some bread, but I gave most of it to Tommy. " The words came out thick and slow, her mind fogging now that the immediate crisis was being managed by someone else. Elias said nothing, but his expression darkened. He moved to the stove where a pot sat with what smelled like beef stew. He ladled out a bowl, set it in front of her with a spoon and simply said, "Eat. " Pride flickered weakly in Nora's chest.
"I can't. I don't have money to pay you, not now. But I meant what I said. I can work. I'm strong and I'm good with" "Eat first, talk after. " Elias's tone brooked no argument.
Nora looked down at the bowl. The stew was thick with vegetables and chunks of beef and the smell of it made her stomach clench with desperate hunger. Her hand shook as she picked up the spoon. The first bite was transcendent. She barely tasted it before swallowing, then took another and another.
Some distant part of her knew she should eat slowly, that her empty stomach might rebel, but she couldn't stop. She was halfway through the bowl before she realized she was crying, tears dripping silently into the stew. Elias had turned away, ostensibly to check on Tommy again, but really to give the woman some privacy for her breakdown. He refreshed the cloth on the boy's forehead, checked his breathing and tried to ignore the sound of quiet weeping behind him. He didn't like this.
Didn't like having people in his house, disrupting the careful emptiness he'd cultivated. Didn't like the way the boy's small face reminded him of things he'd worked years to forget. Didn't like the protective instinct that had surged through him when he'd seen them collapse on his porch. But he couldn't turn them away. Whatever his failings and Lord knew he had plenty, Elias Ward had never been the kind of man who could ignore someone in need, even if it would be easier, even if it would hurt less.
Behind him, Nora's crying subsided to hiccuping breaths. "I'm sorry. " She whispered. "I'm so sorry. I'm not usually I don't normally" "Finish eating. " Elias said, still not turning around. "Then you can tell me how you ended up on my land half dead with a sick child. " It wasn't a question, but it wasn't cruel either, just a statement of fact delivered in that same flat, emotionless tone he seemed to use for everything.
Nora finished the stew, scraping the bowl clean with shaking hands. The food sat heavy and warm in her stomach, making her realize just how close to the edge she'd been. Another day, maybe two, and she would have collapsed for real and Tommy would have She couldn't finish that thought. "Thank you. " She said quietly. "I don't" "Words aren't enough, but thank you. " Elias finally turned back to her.
His dark eyes studied her for a long moment, taking in her gaunt face, her worn-down appearance, the desperate gratitude written in every line of her body. Then he nodded once, sharp and brief. "Your boy will sleep for a while. The willow bark will help the fever come down, but he needs rest and more water when he wakes. You look like you could use the same. " "I can sleep in the barn. " Nora said quickly.
"I don't want to impose and I meant what I said about working. Just tell me what needs doing and I'll" "There's a spare room upstairs. Take it. " Elias moved toward the kitchen door, clearly ending the conversation. "We'll talk about work and payment when you're both recovered. For now, just rest. " "But I" "Mrs.
Gray. " He paused at the doorway, his back to her. "I'm not a good man and I'm not kind, but I'm practical. You and your boy are no use to me dead or sick, so you'll rest, you'll recover and then we'll figure out what comes next. Understand? " It was the longest speech he'd made and it was delivered in that same flat tone, as if he were discussing the weather or the price of cattle. But something in it, maybe the brutal honesty, maybe the acknowledgement that there would be a what comes next, made Nora's throat close up.