Protective Hearts by D.S. Williams

Author:D.S. Williams [Williams, D.S.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Creativia
Published: 2015-01-24T07:00:00+00:00

Silence descended – it was intense and lasted for long minutes as Gracie studied the scar on my chest. Knowing what she was seeing, I prayed she considered it akin to the dreadful scarring that marred her beautiful face.

With my eyes downcast, the only sounds penetrating the silence came from the children down by the lake. Every adult within earshot had stopped to discover what the problem was and it created a ripple effect, with a hush spreading across the partygoers. Gracie and I had become the centre of attention.

My lips trembled and I willed tears away, knowing the likely effect they would have on Gracie. My only concern was getting Gracie calmed down. If I reacted badly, let Gracie see the effect the scar had on me, everything Caleb had been trying to achieve today would be ruined.

“It a heart.”

With a little nod, I agreed. “It is a heart, that's right.”

“It very big.”

I didn't have to look. The scar was memorized, every facet tucked away in my memory. The heart began just below my collarbone and ended a little above my left nipple, the crude shape cut deeply into the skin with a knife, so deep, it had nicked bone in some places. Left without treatment for twelve days, the skin had gaped open leaving thick scar tissue behind. Worse, it had become infected, which only served to increase the disfiguration. Twelve weeks after the event, the wound had eventually healed with the assistance of powerful antibiotics, but the skin was still the deep purple/red of a fresh injury, unlike the pale silver scars that marred Gracie's face. “Yes, it's very big.”

“Bet it hurt”

I nodded, not trusting my voice.

Gracie reached out and traced a finger across the wound, ending where the bodice of my dress covered the last small section. “A ba' man. He do this?”

“Yes, Gracie. A very bad man. A man like Rick.”

“You tell Keny'n an' Tate. They put him in jail, like Rick.”

Startled by her announcement, I glanced at Moira and saw the subtle shake of her head. Apparently, Gracie had been given a much-simplified explanation of what happened to her ex-boyfriend. “Kenyon and Tate know about the bad man who did this, Gracie. That's why I'm staying here.”

The mistake was evident the second the words left my mouth and Gracie's eyes widened exponentially. “The ba' man? He still try to get you? He not in jail with Rick?” I noticed that Gracie always had trouble pronouncing the letter 'r' – except when she said Rick Milbourn's name.

I glanced at Moira a second time and saw a large man hovering nearby. An absolute bear of a man, who was flanked by both Caleb and Rafe. I could only assume this was Gracie's father, and the wildness in his eyes confirmed his arrival had occurred at the worst possible moment. I returned my attention to Gracie, who was tracing her finger around the scar again. “No, Gracie,” I soothed. “I didn't say that right. Kenyon and Tate, they've already caught the bad man and put him in jail.

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