A Headstrong Woman(90)

She glanced at him; then resettled her gaze on the fire in the stove. “You okay?” he asked as he approached her.

She shook her head but still did not speak.

“Bad dreams?” he asked.

She sighed, gave him an annoyed glance, and nodded.

“Come to the parlor and I’ll build you a fire if you want but you’re going to wake Millie if you stay in here much longer,” he told her. She glanced at him, then back to the fire. Jonathon frowned at her. He knew she’d had a disturbing night and he would do nothing to play that down but he wasn’t about to let her stew in it either. He claimed her hand without permission and pulled her to her feet before shutting the stove door and extinguishing the lamp.

He built a fire in the parlor fireplace even though it was much too warm for one and handed her a light blanket from the settee to wrap herself in. Alexandria settled in front of the fireplace; Jonathon settled into the floor against a wing back chair nearby.

“What happened, Alexandria?” Jonathon asked; he dreaded the answer but knew she needed to talk about it before she could work through it herself. Alexandria turned her head to study him a moment before moving to sit beside him, her shoulder touching his. Jonathon had about given up on her sharing when she slowly began to recount the events of her evening. She was shaking again by the time she had finished. Jonathon took a moment to absorb it.

“You’re fortunate it wasn’t worse,” he said gently.

“I know,” she admitted. “Had you not shown up when you did, it would have been.”

“Sorry I wasn’t here sooner.”

“You have nothing to apologize for, I’m the one who turned down your offer of an escort home,” she reminded him.

“Yeah, but it wouldn’t have been the first time I ignored your protest,” he teased her. To his surprise she laughed, only to a moment later, dissolve into tears.

“I’m so scared and I feel so dirty…”

“Alexandria, that’s natural I think but you have no reason to feel dirty. Are you afraid he’ll come back?” he asked her.

“I guess or just scared that someone, anyone, might try it again,” she admitted.

“They’ll find it a lot harder; I’ll be watching you and this place awfully close now.”

“Jonathon, I appreciate everything that you’ve done and do, but maybe you should move on, it seems I’m a bad luck charm. Maybe Anna’s right; maybe I should move back home.”

“Alexandria, I can’t believe you just said that. First of all I’m not going anywhere and neither are you. You mean to tell me that you’re going to let some drunken cowboy do what rustlers and robbers couldn’t?” he asked her.

“This was different, Jonathon, he put his hands on me and…”

“That’s more frightening and harder to ignore. I can’t say that I know how you feel but I can certainly understand it. Let me ask you this, Alexandria. Would moving back to your parents mean that no one could ever hurt you again?”

“No,” she said irritably.

“So why would you?”

“I’m tired of fighting to hold it all together,” she said miserably as fresh tears threatened.

“You’re tired and you need rest.”

“It’s more than that.”

“You’re a coward?” he asked and watched her chin snap up.

“How can you even say that?” her eyes filled with hurt.

Jonathon smiled, “There’s that stubborn tilt, you’ll be okay,” he reached out and brushed his knuckles across her jaw.

Alexandria shuddered, “Jonathon…”

“Don’t?” he tone was mildly amused.

“You have the most annoying habit of taking the words right out of my mouth,” she told him.

“I’ll work on that,” he assured her as he traced the curve of her ear.

“I shouldn’t be here alone with you,” she said absent-mindedly. “And I shouldn’t feel so safe with you,” the words were uttered on almost a whisper.

Jonathon felt his heart flip. As much as he respected her, he decided it was time for her to return to her room. “Good night, Alexandria. You need to get some rest,” he forced his hands to his sides.

Alexandria looked momentarily hurt. “You’re right,” she finally agreed as she stood. “Goodnight,” she hurried from the room.