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Megan narrowed her gaze. "You're pushing me too far, Colleen," she said quietly. "I don't need your business here. You and Gene never pay your bill, anyway. But you'll have a lot of time to think about that when you have to go all the way to the next town for supplies. As for my being perfect ..." She drew in a deep breath and let it out with a laugh. "If only you knew the truth. You're right. One of us isn't worthy of the other, but I'm the one at fault. I'm the one whose reach exceeds her grasp with Justin. He deserves so much more, but he's stuck with me, because I love him and I'm not going to let him go."
Colleen blanched the color of her handkerchief. For a second, Megan thought her sister was going to faint, but she managed to clutch the counter in time and catch her breath. "Don't say that."
"Why not? It's true. I loved him before he left seven years ago, and I still love him. My only regret is that we've lost all those years together. We could have already had a family together."
"You're mad."
"Probably," Megan agreed, surprised at how relieved she felt to tell someone her real feelings.
"I don't know what to say." Colleen turned away and started for the door. When she opened it, she looked back. "I'll speak to Gene. We'll pray for you."
"Do that," Megan called as her sister left. When the door closed, she looked around the store and saw everyone was staring at her. She met each of their gazes, keeping her head high and her shoulders back. She had nothing to be ashamed of.
Bonnie put down her cake and ran across the store. When she reached Megan, she looked up and grinned. "I'm glad you love Justin. Now we can be a real family together."
Megan picked up the girl and held her close. "I'm going to do my best to make that happen, honey. I'm going to do my best."
Megan wasn't sure what she'd heard when she first woke up. She had the vague memory of a thud, as if something had hit the side of the house. Or as if someone had closed a door.
She sat up in bed. Had Justin returned? He'd said a few days. She didn't know exactly how long that was, but yesterday had been day four.
She swung her feet over the side of the bed and grabbed for her robe. It wasn't the silky sheer confection she'd worn | to his room, although this robe wasn't something her dear sister would approve of, either. It was soft blue satin and edged in black lace. She drew it over her shoulders and fumbled for the matching slippers. By the time she crossed the room, she'd already fastened the tie around her waist.
She pulled open the door and peered down the stairs.
Justin? Is that you?" She kept her voice low, not wanting to awaken Bonnie. No sense in disappointing the girl if what Megan had heard was just the wind.
Silence answered her call. She waited, then spoke again. "Justin?"
Nothing. Megan took a single step down, then stopped and listened. There was a slight scratching sound. No, that wasn't exactly what it was. She tilted her Bead to try to figure out where the noise was coming from. From behind her, maybe? From one of the other bedrooms.
She turned slowly and looked down the hallway. All the doors were closed. For the first time since awakening, she felt a shiver of apprehension. Was a stranger in the house? The hairs on the back of her neck stood up.
Before she could decide whether to investigate or just grab Bonnie and run outside with her, she heard a loud thump followed by a scream.
"Megan!"
She raced down the long hallway and flung open Bonnie's door. Her gaze raked across the room to the empty bed. "Bonnie!"
The child screamed unintelligibly. Megan spun toward the sound and saw a tall dark shape carrying the girl toward the already open window.
"Stop!" she veiled. "Let her go."
Without thinking, she ran toward the man, stopping long enough to grab the poker from beside the small fireplace in the room. She could see his arm around Bonnie's waist as he hauled her along. He already had one leg out the window.
Megan raised the poker and brought it down hard on the nan's shoulder. He grunted in pain. His head turned toward her. Instinctively, she shrank back. Dark eyes glared it her above the cloth he'd tied over his lower face. A hat iad been pulled low on his forehead. She stared, mesmerized by his gaze. There was something familiar about his jyes, something horribly familiar.
