Reckless Rescue (28 page)

Hell, where would they go? Fear gripped Tyris’s heart. Could Marlee’s house be repaired, even once the storm had blown itself out? He had no idea. If not, where would they stay?

He looked around Jenka and Rejan’s house and thought about how readily they made room for them. They would find somewhere. No one would leave them out in the cold.

He tried to ignore the tingling in his hands and toes and let himself relax into the friendly atmosphere of the house. Little Lianna’s head blocked his view of Jenka’s breast, and he didn’t feel too bad letting his eyes linger on the picture they presented.

Jenka paused in her conversation to look down at her daughter, a sweet smile curving the corner of her mouth. She brushed a hand over the little girl’s downy hair. Rejan moved closer to put his hand on his partner’s shoulder and smiled down at her.

Tyris’s breath caught in his throat. He wanted what they had. He glanced over at Marlee and saw tears in the corner of her eyes as she watched them too. He wanted to reach out for her, to hold her hand and assure her they’d have it one day too.

He couldn’t believe the roof had fallen at just that moment, right when he was going to explain about his contraceptive implant. If only he’d told her earlier, before they slept together, but he hadn’t been able to bring himself to do it.

He was kicking himself now. He shouldn’t have let himself give in to temptation. Not without telling her. She said she didn’t care about a baby, but that was no excuse. She deserved to know, if for no other reason than to relieve the further doubts about her fertility that would arise when no pregnancy eventuated.

There was no way to tell her now. The crowded house left no privacy for such conversations. He’d have to wait until… he didn’t know when it would be. But as soon as he could, he’d tell her.

F
OR A MOMENT,
M
ARLEE LET
herself pretend that the sleeping child in her arms was actually hers. What would it be like to have the warm little body tucked next to hers at night, to dress her in the tiny clothes, or have her nuzzle at her breast?

The baby gave a soft burp and sucked on her fist. Marlee’s heart ached. If only things had been different.

She looked over to where Tyris pointed his bandaged hand at a spot on the cradle. “Nail it here. It should stay together then.” His white wrapped hands were a chilling reminder of how close they had come to serious damage. She only had minor frostbite on her hands and feet, but Tyris had fared worse, with large blisters covering most of his fingers.

Marlee shivered every time she remembered him digging in the snow blocking the door. His gloves had been soaked in minutes and his fingers must have been freezing, but he hadn’t stopped. Guilt nagged at her. She’d left him and gone back for the bowls, saving her own fingers, but it had probably saved Tyris’s as well. Though he was in pain, the blisters were clear. No sign of blood. They would heal.

And then what? Outside, the wind howled with less ferocity than it had just a few hours ago. Soon, someone would suggest that Rejan go find Karla, with the unspoken addition that they find somewhere else to say. Marlee didn’t blame them. The house was beyond crowded with five of them in one small room. But though she’d wracked her brain to think of somewhere they could go, only one solution presented itself.

She shied away from the thought, bringing her attention back to the baby in front of her. Blue eyes stared up at her around a fist stuck into a small mouth. Marlee couldn’t help but smile. “I think she’s hungry, Jenka.”

Holding the small baby had stirred up so many thoughts, thoughts she also tried to avoid. It had been three days since her birthday. Three days since she and Tyris had slept together. Far too early for her to be experiencing any pregnancy symptoms. So why did she keep analysing every twinge in her stomach and every trip to the bathroom?

She’d sworn she wouldn’t believe in this, wouldn’t hope for something that would never come. So why did happiness bubble up in her every time she thought of it?

Why did she want to hope so much, when all it would bring was pain?

Jenka took the baby and settled into the seat opposite Marlee. With all the practice of one week, she lifted her shirt and attached Lianna to the breast. She looked over at Marlee. “How are your fingers feeling?”

Marlee flexed her fingers, glad of the distraction. They hurt only a little, and much of the swelling had gone down overnight. Within a few days, even the red and white splotches would be gone. “They’re a lot better today.”

“I’ll still be happier once Karla can check them,” Jenka said with a slight frown.

There it was. Marlee took a deep breath. It was easier to say the words herself than wait for someone else to say them. “The storm sounds like it’s dying down. Soon Rejan can fetch her.”

Jenka nodded. “Yes, and then I suppose you’ll be able to find somewhere else to stay. It’s been nice having you here though.” Her gaze drifted over to where Rejan was nailing the cradle together under Tyris’s watchful eye. It glided smoothly now, instead of rocking off kilter.

“It’s been nice to be here,” Marlee said. “But you must be looking forward to having some space again.”

Jenka nodded slowly. “Yes, it is a little crowded. Rejan’s been talking about adding another room in the spring. We’re going to need more space as Lianna grows.” She paused for a moment then looked at Marlee. “Where will you go?”

Marlee shrugged. “Back to Mother’s, I guess.” She hoped the dread she felt in the pit of her stomach didn’t show on her face.

Jenka sighed. “I’m sorry, Marlee. I really wish we had more room.”

Marlee reached out and patted Jenka’s knee. “That’s okay. We’ll be fine.”

She should have known Jenka would understand. At seventeen, most young couples remained in their parent’s home for a few years, but Jenka had been as eager to get away from her father as Marlee had been to get away from Weiss.

She wished she’d escaped as early as Jenka had. She shuddered, remembering her first year at home with Remmy. Would they have had more chance of achieving pregnancy if they hadn’t lived with all that stress? Probably not. It wasn’t as if she’d been able to get pregnant since anyway. Living with Harlow’s family had been better but still not as comfortable as sharing her own home with Nelor.

And now her home was gone. Tears welled up in her eyes. Not only her home but the beautiful presents she had received and the food she had spent much of the summer preparing. After three days in a snowstorm, could any of it be salvaged?

A knock at the door startled her. What was anyone doing here? The storm was easing, but with no reason to suspect a problem, people would stay indoors until it was completely gone. Unless something else had gone wrong?

Lianna began to cry when Jenka jumped suddenly, but stopped abruptly when she offered her the breast again

Straightening up, Rejan exchanged a look with Jenka then crossed to open it.

Tyris stood up and came to stand behind Marlee, resting his bandaged hand on her shoulder.

“They’re in here,” Nerris called over his shoulder. Yasmyn followed right on his heels, pushing past him into the room. Beyond them, Marlee caught a glimpse of several other villagers with shovels over their shoulders.

Marlee stared at her mother. “What are you doing here?” This couldn’t be happening so soon, she wasn’t ready. She needed more time to mentally prepare herself.

Tears glistened in her mother’s eyes. “I’ve had this uncomfortable feeling since the storm started,” she said. “And when the weather began to let up, I needed to see your house. I thought, when I did, everything would be okay. So I walked as far as the well, and the snow cleared for a moment, just long enough for me to see your house.”

Her mother’s face was pale, and her hands shook. Marlee jumped up and threw her arms around her mother. “I’m okay, I promise. Tyris looked after me.”

Tyris smiled at her. “I thought you were the one looking after me?”

“I’m so glad you were there,” her mother said. “When I think about what might have happened if Marlee had been all by herself...” A shudder shook her body.

Marlee hugged her more tightly.

Her mother continued her voice unsteady, “I couldn’t face going over there alone, so I bought Nerris along. When we got to your house, we couldn’t find you anywhere. Nerris said you’d be at Beren’s, but when we got there, you weren’t there either. I didn’t know if you were buried under the snow, or...”

She was crying now, and Marlee didn’t know what to do. She’d never seen her mother so upset. This couldn’t be the same woman who’d told her to get over it when she broke her arm falling out of a tree as a child. “We’re okay,” Marlee repeated.

Her mother hugged her to her chest and took a deep breath. “Yes, you’re okay.” She turned to Jenka. “Thank you so much for looking after them.”

“It’s been a pleasure,” Jenka said quickly. She glanced over at Rejan, who came and stood behind her.

“Well, what’s the problem?” Karla’s gruff voice broke into the room. “I hope I haven’t been dragged all this way in the snow for nothing?”

Her keen eyes took in the bandages on Tyris’s hands and his bare feet as she walked to the chair Marlee had vacated and lowered herself into it. “Let me see those hands, young man.”

Tyris obediently held them out. “They’re barely sore now, but Jenka insisted I had to keep them bandaged to prevent infection.”

“Good.” Karla nodded, unwinding the bandages. She examined Tyris’s fingers silently, and Marlee held her breath. She didn’t think the frostbite was serious enough to cause permanent damage, but she’d feel better when Karla confirmed it.

The nurse examined his hands, turning both of them over and then nodded. “You’ll heal. I was right. No need to drag me out here in the cold.” She turned to Jenka, “You did an excellent job. I couldn’t have done better myself.”

Jenka turned pink with pleasure. “Thank you,” she mumbled.

Karla beckoned to Jenka, “Bring that baby here. I might as well check her while I’m here.”

While Karla checked Lianna, Yasmyn said, “As soon as this storm clears, we’ll dig a path into your house for you to fetch some clothes and anything else you’ll need. You can stay with us for the rest of the winter.”

Marlee wanted to argue, wanted to insist they would stay with someone else. But there was no one else. She bit back a sigh. “Thank you, Mother.”

Before she knew it, they were bundled up in blankets and pulled across the snow in a sled, despite their objections. Karla insisted they needed to stay out of the snow for a few more days until their feet were completely healed. Getting them wet or cold again at this point could cause further damage.

It all blurred together for Marlee until she was sitting by the fire in her childhood home, a warm cup of tea in her hands and Weiss scowling at her. Marlee’s stomach clenched. It was silly to feel this way. She was an adult with her own home, not answerable to him in any way.

Except, her home was uninhabitable. The damage to the roof couldn’t be fixed in this weather. There would be no materials available for that kind of repair until spring arrived.

Tyris smiled at her mother. “Thank you, Yasmyn. It’s kind of you to open your home to us on such short notice.”

Marlee should have given thanks too, but her tongue wouldn’t move. Weiss’s scowl deepened. He hadn’t said anything yet, but it wouldn’t be long before he voiced his opinion. It wouldn’t be pleasant.

“No need for thanks, Tyris. Of course you and Marlee are welcome here.” Marlee relaxed a little at her mother’s words.

“Don’t think that means you can sit around doing nothing. I expect you to pull your weight and contribute to the household.” Weiss’s words sent a cold shiver through Marlee. They sounded reasonable on the surface, but she knew Weiss was anything but. He would make them pay for interrupting his life.

“Of course, Sir. I wouldn’t expect anything less.” Tyris took Weiss’s statement at face value. “If there’s anything at all I can do to help, don’t hesitate to let me know.”

“You’re welcome to do my chores,” Colby piped up.

Marlee winced at her younger brother’s words. The only one still living at home, Colby would do anything he could to get out of work. He’d threatened or blackmailed her into doing his chores whenever so many times when they were younger, that she’d lost count.

Tyris raised an eyebrow but didn’t otherwise acknowledge Colby’s comment.

Weiss ignored his son, still staring at Marlee. Most people would have taken Tyris’s reply to be for both of them, but not Weiss. “What’s wrong with you, girl? Cat got your tongue?”

Marlee’s mouth felt dry. It was a struggle to get the words out, but she knew if she didn’t, things would only get worse. “No, Father. Of course I’m happy to do anything I can to help.”

Weiss just grunted. He stood up and walked into his bedroom without so much as a goodnight. Marlee heaved a sigh of relief. Her mother patted her on the head, the only sign she gave of understanding. “I’ll put some sheets on your bed and you can both get some sleep.”

When she finally crawled between the sheets in the room she’d occupied as a child, Marlee felt completely drained. She didn’t know if she could face the rest of the winter here. She certainly didn’t want Tyris to see the misery of her childhood. But what other choice did she have?