rack and swung it over her shoulders. God, what would she have done if he hadn’t been here? She closed her eyes briefly and the tears fell. Maybe she should marry George. How else would she protect Quinn? And now she was putting Samuel in danger.
His strong arms pulled her close and stroked her head. “I won’t let him hurt you or Quinn,” he vowed.
Amanda stiffened and pushed away looking up at him. “You can’t protect us from the whole town,” she sniffled. “He basically owns the whole town. They will come for Quinn.” Amanda wiped her eyes and turned away, going to check on her son.
She heard Samuel’s footsteps follow. Amanda sat on the bedside and took the cloth from Quinn’s head, rinsed it in the basin, and placed it back on his forehead. She hung her head. “He has a fever.” Gently she placed ointment on the cuts. “He doesn’t normally have a fever,” her voice quivered.
“Shall I go fetch the doc?” Samuel asked.
“I’ll watch him through the night and if he worsens, I can get him,” she answered without emotion.
She stood and turned to face him. “It’s been a long day. I think you should go now.”
“Amanda, I don’t think it’s a good idea for you to stay here alone.”
“I’m fine, Samuel. I just need some time alone.” She smiled weakly.
He stood staring at her for a few moments, which seemed like an eternity. He was so handsome and brave. He stood up for her and Quinn. Amanda knew she was falling in love with him more by the second, but now she’d put his life in danger, too.
He placed a tender kiss on her lips before turning toward the door. “I’ll be at the boarding house if you need me for anything.”
She crossed her arms, feeling a chill settle over her body. “Samuel, did that wolf creature take you to Quinn?” she asked nervously.
“Yes, it did.”
“How do you know that creature?” she queried, rubbing her arms.
He paused, but didn’t look back at her. “I pulled it out of Lost Lake,” he replied as he opened the door and departed.
Amanda awoke early. Quinn breathed in and out in a steady rhythmic pattern. She smiled to herself. Last night, she curled up beside him in his small bed so she could hear his every move, and ensure his fever didn’t worsen.
The problem was, he hadn’t moved, not a muscle. At least his fever broke. She carefully got out of bed and kissed him on the cheek.
The rooms were cold so she quickly went about the house lighting the fires. Once the fire warmed the house, she put on her cloak and boots, preparing to leave. She didn’t want to leave, but she needed to let Mr. Murphy know she wouldn’t be in to work.
The cold morning air stung her nose as she rushed down the steps and made her way to the main street. Christmas would be here soon, but in her heart it didn’t feel like Christmas.
She stopped for a moment and looked at the large wolf like prints in the snow. The tracks went through the street, across the park and probably to the edge of the trees.
This town was full of nightmares. They popped up every day. Only the most devilish evil force would flood a town and cause the destruction left behind.
Still, the beast had saved her son, or at least found him. How and why she couldn’t comprehend.
Amanda rushed into the boarding house to find Mr. Murphy setting tables. He turned to look at her. “Amanda, I didn’t expect you in today. Folks have been talking,” he said, placing a cup down on the table.
“I’m sorry, Mr. Murphy. Quinn is ill again.”
He stood in front of her. “Amanda, maybe you should leave this town. Take Quinn and go to the city,” he said tenderly.
“But I don’t want—” she cut off her sentence as the door opened.
The woman stood in the entrance and sent a cold glare her way. It was Mrs. Winlop. Not one of Amanda’s favorite people.
She spoke first. “Mr. Murphy, Bandit Creek is a respectable town, but that woman and her son most certainly are not,” she declared
His strong arms pulled her close and stroked her head. “I won’t let him hurt you or Quinn,” he vowed.
Amanda stiffened and pushed away looking up at him. “You can’t protect us from the whole town,” she sniffled. “He basically owns the whole town. They will come for Quinn.” Amanda wiped her eyes and turned away, going to check on her son.
She heard Samuel’s footsteps follow. Amanda sat on the bedside and took the cloth from Quinn’s head, rinsed it in the basin, and placed it back on his forehead. She hung her head. “He has a fever.” Gently she placed ointment on the cuts. “He doesn’t normally have a fever,” her voice quivered.
“Shall I go fetch the doc?” Samuel asked.
“I’ll watch him through the night and if he worsens, I can get him,” she answered without emotion.
She stood and turned to face him. “It’s been a long day. I think you should go now.”
“Amanda, I don’t think it’s a good idea for you to stay here alone.”
“I’m fine, Samuel. I just need some time alone.” She smiled weakly.
He stood staring at her for a few moments, which seemed like an eternity. He was so handsome and brave. He stood up for her and Quinn. Amanda knew she was falling in love with him more by the second, but now she’d put his life in danger, too.
He placed a tender kiss on her lips before turning toward the door. “I’ll be at the boarding house if you need me for anything.”
She crossed her arms, feeling a chill settle over her body. “Samuel, did that wolf creature take you to Quinn?” she asked nervously.
“Yes, it did.”
“How do you know that creature?” she queried, rubbing her arms.
He paused, but didn’t look back at her. “I pulled it out of Lost Lake,” he replied as he opened the door and departed.
Amanda awoke early. Quinn breathed in and out in a steady rhythmic pattern. She smiled to herself. Last night, she curled up beside him in his small bed so she could hear his every move, and ensure his fever didn’t worsen.
The problem was, he hadn’t moved, not a muscle. At least his fever broke. She carefully got out of bed and kissed him on the cheek.
The rooms were cold so she quickly went about the house lighting the fires. Once the fire warmed the house, she put on her cloak and boots, preparing to leave. She didn’t want to leave, but she needed to let Mr. Murphy know she wouldn’t be in to work.
The cold morning air stung her nose as she rushed down the steps and made her way to the main street. Christmas would be here soon, but in her heart it didn’t feel like Christmas.
She stopped for a moment and looked at the large wolf like prints in the snow. The tracks went through the street, across the park and probably to the edge of the trees.
This town was full of nightmares. They popped up every day. Only the most devilish evil force would flood a town and cause the destruction left behind.
Still, the beast had saved her son, or at least found him. How and why she couldn’t comprehend.
Amanda rushed into the boarding house to find Mr. Murphy setting tables. He turned to look at her. “Amanda, I didn’t expect you in today. Folks have been talking,” he said, placing a cup down on the table.
“I’m sorry, Mr. Murphy. Quinn is ill again.”
He stood in front of her. “Amanda, maybe you should leave this town. Take Quinn and go to the city,” he said tenderly.
“But I don’t want—” she cut off her sentence as the door opened.
The woman stood in the entrance and sent a cold glare her way. It was Mrs. Winlop. Not one of Amanda’s favorite people.
She spoke first. “Mr. Murphy, Bandit Creek is a respectable town, but that woman and her son most certainly are not,” she declared
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