Big Sky Dreams: Sabrina Part 12

Eliza gave a small sigh and closed her eyes. Sabrina stayed for just a moment more and then slipped from the room.

Not until she came from the bedroom did the men see the marks on her face. Nate, who had been joined by another deputy, Thorn Koeller, wasted no time asking Sabrina what had happened.

"I can't remember all of it. He was. .h.i.tting her, and I grabbed him."

"And he hit you," the sheriff supplied.

"I fell back, so he must have. I scratched his face. I remember that."

Rylan watched her intently during all of this, thinking he didn't know another woman in town who would be as calm as she was in the midst of this situation. The sheriff was starting to say something 100 more, but Sabrina quickly excused herself. Nate did nothing to stop her, but Rylan followed her outside.

"Crystal," Sabrina called to the woman who had walked past. She came back. Very little light spilled out of the house, but it was enough to show Rylan the type of dress the other woman was wearing. "Who was that man?" Sabrina asked.

"He takes care of Eliza sometimes," she said, not willing to give his name. "I don't think he knew about the baby."

"Will he be back?"

"Sure." Her voice was matter-of-fact. "He lives there when he's in town."

"She needs someone to sit with her."

"I'm working."

"Take the night oft" Sabrina ordered, her tone flat.

"I'll go in," Crystal said after a long-suffering sigh, "but not with the sheriff there."

"I don't think he'll be much longer. Stay close."

"Yes, Mother," Crystal said in angry sarcasm, but Sabrina ignored it.

"I'll check on her tomorrow."

"Why?"

"Haven't you heard?" Sabrina's own sarcasm came to the fore. "I'm the pretty one who's in the wrong neighborhood."

Crystal couldn't help herself. She laughed.

"Who's that?" she asked when she had her breath, and Sabrina turned to find a huge shape behind her.

"h.e.l.lo," Rylan said calmly. "I'm Rylan Jarvik, Sabrina's pastor." "I've heard of you," Crystal said. "You helped Maggie last year." "How is she?"

"I think better."

"Tell her I said h.e.l.lo," Rylan said and then spoke to Sabrina. "I'm going to go back in to see if Eliza wants me to pray with her. Then I'll walk you home."

"It's not that far," Sabrina began, but Rylan took her hand and 101led her back inside. He didn't relinquish that hand until he was back in the bedroom. The chair was still close to the bed but vacant, and Rylan sat back down.

"Your baby seems happy to be back with you," Rylan said, his voice kind as he gazed down at the sleeping infant.

"She's a good baby."

Rylan nodded. "Sheriff Kaderly sends for me when someone's been hurt or grieving, but I don't have to stay. I can pray for you if you like, but it's your choice."

"I haven't talked to G.o.d in a long time. I never make it to church."

"Since G.o.d is everywhere, we don't have to be in a church building to pray. We can call out to Him wherever we are."

"I don't want G.o.d here," Eliza said. "It's not a nice place."

"He's here, Eliza, all the time, but I won't force you to talk about it."

Eliza's head shifted uncomfortably on the pillow, and Rylan rose.

"Hey, Pretty," Eliza said, but Sabrina didn't turn.

"Sabrina." Rylan had caught it and called her name. "Eliza wants to speak with you."

Sabrina turned to the woman in the bed and went a little closer.

"Thanks for taking care of my baby."

"You're welcome. Crystal's going to come tonight. I'll check on you tomorrow."

Eliza stared at her but didn't comment. Sabrina didn't either. She turned and walked from the room and found Rylan waiting for her. Without a word, he led the way outside, clearly planning to walk her the short distance home as he'd said.

"How did you come to be in that house?" Rylan asked when 102 they both stood at the bottom of Sabrina's stairs. There was a bit of a moon, but they were basically talking in the dark.

"I heard a woman cry out and went in."

"From your apartment?"

"No, I was walking by."

More retorts than Rylan could keep track of sprang to his lips, but he didn't utter any of them.

"Does Sheriff Kaderly always send for you?" Sabrina asked, finding this rather interesting.

"Yes. He has for so many years that it seems normal to me." "And what do you do?"

"Just what I did tonight. I come and I pray with folks if they want it."

"Do they ever?"

"Some have. In fact some folks in the church family are people I met with during times like this."

Sabrina wanted to ask if any were former prost.i.tutes, but she kept the question to herself.

"Are you all right?" Rylan asked.

"Yes, are you?"

"I didn't get hit tonight," Rylan explained. "And unless I misunderstood what happened, you haven't even had time to put a cool cloth on your face."

"You're not like I thought," Sabrina said thoughtfully, feeling safe to admit it in the dark.

"How's that?"

"I don't know. I just didn't picture you being so kind." "It's easy to be kind when you care about people."

"I can see that you do."

"I think I would have to say the same about you. After tonight, I don't know how I could think anything else."

"That's a good thing, isn't it?" Sabrina asked, suddenly feeling uncertain.

"I think it is," Rylan said, even as he wanted to tell her that she 103 couldn't keep breaking up fights, that tonight she might have gotten off easy.

"Thank you for walking me home, Pastor Rylan."

"You're welcome. I hope you sleep well."

"Thank you. Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Sabrina."

Before he could move away, she told him she would see him Sunday. Rylan didn't correct her, but he planned on seeing her before then. He would be at Jeanette's tomorrow, as soon as he could manage it, to check on her face.

Rylan was at Chas' door first thing in the morning. Chas was the elder he was closest to, the one who tended to ask him the toughest questions and hold him most accountable. Rylan was feeling things about a woman he barely knew, and he needed prayer. He started by explaining his evening to Chas and then waited.

"She went in and stopped this man's attack?"

"Yes. I haven't seen her today, but he hit her and there was some bruising."

Chas stared at him, and Rylan's heart spilled over.

"There's something special about her, Chas. I've never been drawn to anyone like this."

"And your heart wants to gallop."

"It does," Rylan agreed, laughing at the very words he'd used in the pulpit many times. mostly stopped today to talk to you because I need your prayers. I need to think clearly and not be blinded by emotion."

"Well, you certainly have my prayers. Do we know what happened with this woman or the man?"

"No. My next stop is the sheriff's office. The woman was not open to talking about G.o.d, so I probably won't see her again. However," Rylan remembered, "Sabrina was headed back today."

104 "She said this?"

"Yes, and she had another woman go there last night." Rylan had to stop and shake his head. "I wish you could have seen and heard her. I've never seen the like."

Chas didn't know what to say. There was certainly a whole lot more to Sabrina Matthews than a tall woman with a pretty face, but finding out the facts and details might not be so easy.

Chas felt speculation coming over him and knew there was no point. As he'd told his friend he would do, he started to pray.

Sabrina knocked softly and carefully opened the front door of the house down the street. Not looking at all good, but on her feet, Eliza stood in the living room, the baby in her arms.

"How are you?" Sabrina asked.

"How do I look?"

"Awful." Sabrina didn't mince words. "I a.s.sume that's how you feel."

"Have you got a cigarette?" Eliza asked.

"No, sorry."

"Crystal probably does."

"Did she come last night?"

"Yeah. She left an hour ago."

"Can I get you anything? Maybe some breakfast?"

"No, but thanks."

There was a note of finality to her voice that Sabrina could not help but hear. The baby gave a little squeak of a cry then, and Sabrina, seeing no help for it, backed toward the door. She knew how resilient women in this life could be and also that she was looking at one. It wouldn't have surprised her if the man from last night was already back in the bedroom, sleeping off a rough night of beating his woman.

Seeing that there was nothing left for her to do or say, Sabrina went 105 on her way. She had to slip back into her apartment to get her reticule and then get to Jeanette's. Eliza did not want her help, and she had a job to do. She was almost to Jeanette's before she remembered that she could pray for Eliza and the baby every time they came to mind.

"How is the machine working, Jeanette?" Rylan asked as soon as he was in the door of the shop.

"Just great, thank you," Jeanette answered with a smile. "I'm glad to hear it. No Sabrina today?"

Jeanette's smile disappeared. "She's in the back. She insisted on working back there."

Rylan started that way, but Jeanette was not done. She called after his retreating back, "I might not be done with you, Rylan Jarvik. I might want someone else's side of the story."

Sabrina had certainly heard all of this, so she wasn't at all surprised when Rylan appeared. There was one small window at the back, and Sabrina had positioned herself under it to give her the best light to sew.

"How's the eye?" Rylan asked the moment he saw her. "I'll live," Sabrina said lightly.

Rylan went to the window and bent in such a way that he could see her face in the full light. She had a shiner high on one cheek bone and a scratch on the same side. Sabrina watched him take in the marks and then look her in the eye.

"I don't think I want you to do that again," Rylan said slowly. "Well, I don't plan on it," Sabrina said.

"But it might happen?" Rylan asked.