Page 31 of Magnolia Summer

“Had you eaten this morning?”

“Yes. I’m all right.” She started to get up, to prove she was fine, but her legs shook like a newborn foal’s.

Truett placed a hand on her shoulder. “Why don’t you sit for a few more minutes. You don’t want to go fainting again.” He raised his eyebrows.

Inside, he was probably laughing at her. Of course, why wouldn’t he? After she’d said she could take care of herself, vowed she could take care of her whole family as well as any man, she’d fainted like those silly, giggly girls she’d always held in such contempt. It was too much.

She stuck her finger at him. “Don’t you dare laugh at me.”

He raised his brows again and held out his hands. “I’m not laughing. I was worried about you. Fainting is an involuntary response. You couldn’t have stopped yourself.”

She remembered the sensation of being lifted. Truett must have picked her up and carried her, must have held her in his arms. The thought made her dizzy again. She put her hand over her face as a flood of embarrassment made her cheeks hot.

“People can faint for any number of reasons. You can’t control it, so it’s nothing to be embarrassed about.”

“I just don’t want you to think of me when Will is the one who’s hurt. Shouldn’t you check on him?” She couldn’t bring herself to look him in the eye.

He backed toward the door. “I will if it will help you rest. You stay there. Please.” He pointed at her as he turned and left the room.

“Oh, Celia.” Lizzie’s eyes were lit up like Christmas morning. She whispered, “You should have seen the look on his face when he swept you up in his arms and gazed down at you. Oh, it was so sweet. I think he’s in love with you!”

“Hush! Please don’t let him hear you say that,” Celia whispered back. “Besides, that’s ridiculous. He couldn’t possibly think of me as anything but a silly, stupid, fainting girl.” Tears stung her eyes.

Lizzie was imagining things. But she did wish she could remember how it felt to be held in his arms.

Lizzie was rubbing off on her, apparently.

Celia sat up, holding her sister’s arm, and waited as her vision gradually stopped spinning. With Lizzie’s help she got up from the bed and walked into the examination room.

Truett was cleaning up his tools and putting them away, while Will reclined on a pillow on the examining table, looking wrung out but alert.

“Oh, Will. Are you all right? I’m so sorry.” Celia squeezed her brother’s hand. His leg still had traces of blood smeared over it, with tiny black stitches criss-crossing it.

Will grinned. “Don’t be sorry. I wasn’t watching what I was doing. But it’ll make a great scar, don’t you think? I can’t wait to show the fellas.”

She had meant she was sorry she had fainted while he was getting stitched up, but she also wanted to tell him how sorry she was for being so grouchy that morning, how horrified she had been at the thought of him being seriously injured. But rather than saying all that in front of Dr. Beverly, she decided to wait until they were home.

“You’re such a boy,” Lizzie said, and she and Celia both laughed, though Celia’s was a bit shaky. Thank goodness he wasn’t upset with her—his bossy grouch of a sister.God, from now on I promise not to be grouchy with Will or anyone else, ever again.She only hoped she could keep her promise.

Truett soon finished and turned to Will. “Ready?”

Will nodded. Truett picked him up and carried him out to the wagon, laying him on the quilts. Lizzie climbed into the back beside Will.

Truett focused his gaze on Celia, standing next to the wagon seat.

She looked away, needing to express her gratitude for what he had done for Will, but embarrassed at her silly fainting spell. He continued standing in front of her. She lifted her eyes to his. “Thank you . . . for what you did for Will.” She bit her lip and murmured, “And I’m sorry I fainted.”

“Nothing to be sorry about.” His voice was soft. “You couldn’t help it, and you were just worried about your brother.” His throat convulsed slightly as he swallowed, his eyes never straying from hers. “It was my pleasure to be of help.”

Not a flicker of humor passed over his face, as he held her gaze with his, his lips slightly parted.

She turned toward the wagon seat. His hands clasped her waist and he hoisted her up.

As she sat on the wooden seat and collected the reins, their gazes locked again. She quickly turned away and urged the horses forward.

Lord, what just happened here?She could still feel his hands around her waist. A warm tingling spread through her.

What was wrong with her? Perhaps she had just spent too much time away from her sewing. As soon as she got back to the house, she planned to pull out whatever material she could find and create the most intricate, detailed dress she’d ever sewn.