After the Fall Ch. 05

She squeezed his hand. "Thank you."

He drew her closer and put his arm around her. "You're welcome."

Nate finished his examination. "Your ankle doesn't seem to be sprained, so there's no reason you can't walk on it if you're able. It's going to hurt for a while. You have some very nasty bruises from the chain, and the abrasions are going to be raw for a little while. There are some places where it looks like your skin got caught between links in the chain. As soon as you've had a chance to bathe, have Michael call me and I'll bandage your ankle. You can wash it with regular soap and water, but be gentle, and don't touch it with the towel when you dry off."

"Thank you."

Nate flashed her a rare smile.

Marcus arrived with a dish of sliced fruit and bread, and Paula took charge of it. Eager to get Sarah upstairs, Mariah led her to the elevator, accompanied by Paula and Michael. Ezra stepped in, too, without a word, and walked with them to Mariah's bedroom.

Sarah was barely settled on the small couch in Mariah's sitting area when Henry came over to greet her with enthusiastic tail wags. Once he got a kiss, he started sniffing her all over. Sarah had to discourage him from licking her ankle, but she gave him a big hug. "Such a sweet boy trying to take care of my boo-boo." Henry's tail thumped. He couldn't resist praise.

Julia and Duncan were not far behind Henry. Julia jumped up beside Sarah and rubbed her cheek on Sarah's arm. Duncan jumped on the back of the couch and tried to renew his favorite game to play with Sarah. From the first time Duncan met her, he had been trying to sit on her head. Neither Sarah nor Mariah had any idea why. It was a game for him, and he would go to any lengths to play it. Mariah shooed him off.

"Are Mister Barnaby and Quincy here, too?" Sarah asked. As the designated babysitter for Mariah's "kids," she was familiar with them all.

"Right over there on the shelf. Can you believe Michael doesn't think Quincy looks like a Quincy?"

Sarah turned to Michael. "What did you think his name should be?"

Michael was at a loss. "He's umm... I'm not sure, actually. He's the first cricket I've ever been introduced to."

While Henry, Duncan, and Julia were greeting Sarah, Paula had bustled off to the kitchenette for a tray, napkins, and some water. She returned just in time to catch the end of the conversation about Quincy. She tutted at Michael. "Of course he looks like a Quincy."

Michael raised his hands and looked to Ezra. "Going to help me out here?"

Ezra shook his head. "Sorry. You're on your own."

Paula pulled an end table in front of Sara and arranged the fruit and bread on the tray. Sarah thanked her and drank half the glass of water before she started with the fruit. She had been so thirsty, even after the water Yvonne gave her in the jeep.

"What would you like for dinner?" Mariah asked. "Marcus is waiting to make something for you. I didn't get a chance to introduce you, but you'll like him."

"Oh, this is more than enough. It's really good, too."

"I doubt anyone is going to let you get away with just eating that. They are very insistent on feeding people around here. Somebody will probably start chasing you around with a dish of food, so you might as well decide what you want in that dish."

Sarah was already shaking her head when Ezra spoke up. "You've been through a terrible ordeal, Sarah. You need to keep your strength up."

Sarah looked to Ezra. "Okay. What do you think I should have?"

Ezra hadn't thought beyond making sure she ate something. "I caught some trout this morning that I don't think Marcus ever got a chance to use. I like it when he pan fries it."

"That sounds good."

Paula called Marcus on the house phone to let him know, then turned back to the group. "The poor girl doesn't need you guys staring at her while she eats."

Mariah interceded. "Actually, I was just about to suggest that Michael and Ezra clean up and wash their face paint off. Ezra can use my shower if someone could get him a change of clothes."

Paula started to ask why Ezra couldn't use his own shower, but she caught Mariah's subtle shake of her head. Instead, she offered to get a change of clothes from Ezra's quarters. Ezra thanked her gruffly.

The door had just closed behind Paula when Mariah jumped up, saying she'd forgotten to ask Paula for something. She caught up with Paula in the hall.

"What was that all about, sweetie?" Paula asked Mariah.

"I'm not sure exactly, but Ezra is following Sarah around like her personal guard and she seems to feel safer when he's with her. She keeps checking to see where he is."

"The poor little thing. Well, Ezra wouldn't let anything happen to her, that's for sure. She couldn't be safer. We'll just do what we can to let her stay with him as long as she needs to. Have you thought about where she'll sleep tonight?"

"I thought she could just sleep with me. Even if there was a spare bedroom made up, she probably shouldn't be by herself tonight."

Paula nodded approvingly. "Mind you, if Ezra insists on staying in your bedroom, I think Michael's going to have something to say about it."

Mariah rolled her eyes. "I'm sure he would. We'll think of something. Maybe she'll feel safe enough to be away from him by then."

When Mariah returned, Ezra was telling Sarah a story about a nun, a highwayman, and a leprechaun. Mariah stayed close, but Sarah's attention was on Ezra. When Paula came back with Ezra's clothes, he was just finishing a story about the Flying Dutchman and a racehorse named Cigar. Marcus arrived with Sarah's dinner, and Mariah made the appropriate introductions, feeling a bit like her bedroom had become Grand Central Station. Ezra waited for Sarah to start eating before he took his shower.

While Sarah ate, Maria tried to put her at ease. She didn't want to push Sarah to talk about anything too private while everyone kept going in and out.

"You must be exhausted."

Sarah nodded. "I am. Not really sleepy, but just so very tired. I slept a lot while they had me, but it was like the sleep didn't do me any good."

"When you're finished eating, let's get you comfortable. Wait until you see the shower and bathtub! The bathtub is huge, and there's enough hot water to fill it all the way up if you want a bath. If you want a shower, you'll love the water pressure."

"There's no way I would turn down a chance to sit in a bathtub full of hot water."

"It gets better. There's shampoo, conditioner, and soap from before The Fall."

Sarah's eyes got big. "You're kidding. Where did they get that?"

Mariah wasn't sure how much she was allowed to tell Sarah, so she just gave a non-committal shrug. She was saved from trying to explain further, because Ezra came back, freshly showered and in clean clothes. It was the first time Sarah had seen him without the camouflage face paint. There was a silence that went unnoticed by either Ezra or Sarah. Mariah felt like she was intruding on a private moment.

Mariah hadn't thought about it before, but Ezra was a striking man. His dark hair was prematurely grayed in just the way that inevitably made people think, "distinguished." His gray eyes were kind, with tiny lines at the outer corners that only appeared when he smiled. He had a firm jaw, broad forehead, and a generally good-natured look. There was steel beneath the affability, though, and an ever-present watchfulness. Physically, he was every inch the guardian, with a strong build and disciplined bearing. It was no wonder Sarah felt safer around Ezra, especially since he seemed to have appointed himself her protector.

Mariah cleared her throat. "Ezra, would you mind keeping Sarah company while I find something for her to wear?"

"My pleasure."

In the closet, Mariah reviewed the clothing options. The pajamas Michael provided her were variations on the same theme: skimpy shorts and a top that was cropped, practically transparent, skin-tight, or all of the above. For once, that might be a good thing. Since the pajamas were close-fitting for Mariah, they shouldn't be too big for Sarah. All of Mariah's dresses would be too big for Sarah, so they would just have to get her clothes washed and dried before morning.

As she took the pajamas to the bathroom, she overheard Ezra assuring Sarah of the safety of the compound. She stayed in the bathroom while the tub filled, so Sarah and Ezra could have more time to talk. It was a little concerning that Sarah might be becoming too attached to someone right after her trauma, but on the whole, it seemed like a good thing. Mariah didn't believe Ezra was the type of man who would take advantage of a situation like that.

Ezra was keeping Sarah entertained with more funny stories when Mariah came back to let Sarah know her bath was ready. It was obvious that Ezra didn't want to leave yet, and he looked rather awkward without a reason to be there.

"Ezra, would you mind sticking around for a bit? I'd like to get Sarah's clothes washed tonight. I've got pajamas for her to change into, and I was hoping you could get her clothes to Paula to wash."

"I can just put them in the wash myself if you hand them out to me."

"Thanks, Ezra."

Sarah was stunned by the bathroom. She was trying to look at everything at once, but her eyes kept going back to the tub. "Bubble bath!" she exclaimed.

Mariah nodded. "Told you that you wouldn't believe it. You'll find all the soap and shampoo and conditioner on the ledge at the end of the tub. There are towels all over the place, but I put one on the bar next to the tub for you. Can you think of anything else you need?"

Sarah shook her head. "No, but would you mind staying with me? I don't really want to be alone."

"Of course I don't mind. It will give us a chance to talk, anyway. I haven't had a moment alone with you since you got here."

After Sarah sank into the hot bath with a deep sigh of enjoyment, Mariah gathered up her clothes and took them to Michael. He took them and hurried off, probably eager to get back and stare at the bathroom door.

She sat on the ledge at the end of the tub while Sarah soaked in the hot water.

"Nice, huh?"

Sarah kicked some water up at her. "Nice? You've been bathing like a princess and you call it 'nice?' No wonder you're staying here."

Mariah stuck her tongue out and they both laughed.

"Yeah, this place is ridiculous." She wished she could tell Sarah why she'd been living in luxury instead of being back out there, doing something to contribute.

"So, I gather this is Michael's house? I thought Cameron Kincaid owned it. Is he still here?"

"No, Cameron died. Michael is his son."

"So are you and Michael...?"

Mariah sighed. "It's complicated."

"But you're sleeping with him, right?"

Mariah rolled her eyes at Sarah. "You're incorrigible. Yes, I'm sleeping with him."

"He's pretty cute. You guys look good together."

"He's too pretty," Mariah said, more harshly than she intended. "Sorry, I don't mean to snap. He's just really aggravating. "

Sarah grinned. "Sounds like you guys are serious, if you get that aggravated with him. I won't pester you about it, though."

"Well, while we're talking about uncomfortable subjects, I feel like I need to ask about what happened to you. I've got some stone seed root if you need it."

"Stone seed root?"

"To keep from getting pregnant."

"Oh, you mean..." Sarah realized what Mariah must think. "No, they didn't rape me. Two of them argued about it, and one of them said there was a rule that Josh Hawley got to go first. If he had come to the lake house before Ezra did—" She broke down crying.

Mariah moved to sit on the edge of the tub beside her and stroked her hair. "You're safe now. Ezra's right outside the door. The house is locked up and there are cameras in the wall around the compound. Yvonne is watching the video from the cameras to make sure nobody tries to come in."

Sarah sniffed. "I'm not afraid that something will happen now. I'm just still afraid of what could have happened."

"I can't imagine what it was like for you. How long did they have you?"

"Five days."

"God, Sarah. I'm so sorry. I had no idea until today."

"You couldn't have known. Like you said, everything they've done is their fault, not ours."

They chatted about lighter topics while Sarah finished her bath. When she was done, Mariah stepped out to give her some privacy. Michael had joined Ezra in the sitting area. Having determined that Michael was back in relatively good graces, Henry was laying on the couch resting his chin on Michael's leg. Ezra and Michael were eating peanut butter sandwiches. Michael handed one to Mariah.

"Thanks. I was getting hungry." She wolfed the sandwich down before Sarah came out. The peanut butter was homemade, and delicious in its own way. It had a fuller, nuttier taste with a slightly bitter note and a thinner, grittier texture than the kind she used to eat right out of the jar. It was sort of like peanut butter for adults, but tonight she'd rather be sitting at the kids' table. It got the job done, though.

Ezra's breath caught when Sarah came out of the bathroom. The dullness and grime of five days was gone, bringing her mocha skin back to its usual velvety texture. Layers of damp ringlets framed her face. The pajamas she was wearing were just a tiny bit too big, making her look even smaller than she was. Ezra swallowed hard.

Before things could get awkward, Mariah called Nate on the house phone so he could come up to bandage Sarah's ankle. When Nate arrived, he looked surprised to see Ezra there, but he didn't comment on it. It only took a couple of minutes to apply the ointment and the bandage. As soon as Nate left, Mariah started giving serious thought to how she was going to get Ezra to leave.

Sarah tried to smother a yawn. "Sorry. Just about all I did was sleep for the past few days, but I can't stop yawning."

"Okay, you two." Mariah looked pointedly at Ezra and Michael. "Time to let Sarah get some sleep."

Michael stood and stretched. "Goodnight, Sarah. Mariah, come see me before you go to bed."

Ezra stood as well. "If you guys need anything at all, just call me. Would you like me to lock the door to this wing on my way out? It might make Sarah feel better."

"Sure," Mariah agreed.

"If you need anything at all, just call me," Ezra repeated on his way out the door.

Mariah stifled her laughter as she closed the door behind him.

"Well, now that we've gotten everyone cleared out, please, make yourself at home. The bed is super-comfortable. I'll go see what Michael wants." She paused on her way to the door. "Will you be okay? I'll keep the door between the rooms open so you won't really be alone."

Sarah giggled. "Pretty sure he wants a goodnight kiss. Go ahead. I'll be okay."

Mariah tapped on the door to Michael's room. He opened it so quickly that he had to have been standing right on the other side of it. She stopped him when he started to close the door behind her. She beckoned him over to the side and whispered, "She's afraid to be alone right now."

His soft growl sent a shiver down her spine, but when he reached for her, she shook her head. "Behave. I told her I'd leave the door open."

Undeterred, he pulled her in for a kiss with an arm around her waist. He kissed her insistently until her lips parted, allowing him to deepen the kiss. Before he released her, he whispered against her ear, "I want you back in my bed tomorrow night, kitten. No exceptions." She turned to go, but he caught her arm. "I love you, Mariah."

She glared at him, then glared harder when he smiled back, completely unphased. Turning on her heel, she stalked back to her room and shut the door soundly.

"Uh-oh," Sarah teased.

"It's nothing," Mariah muttered. "He just enjoys getting under my skin."

She climbed into bed. Henry jumped up and plopped down in between them, stretching to take up more space than either Mariah or Sara. Duncan followed Henry up and laid down on Henry after Henry put up some token resistance.

"At least Duncan's not trying to sit on your head."

Sarah laughed. "He's probably just waiting for me to go to sleep."

"Probably."

Julia sprang up on the bed and took her customary place by Mariah's pillow.

Mariah switched off the light. "Make sure you wake me up if you need something, or just need to talk, okay?"

"Okay. Thanks for everything."

Mariah was drifting off to sleep when Sarah spoke. "Mariah, would you mind leaving the light on?"

"Hmmm?" she answered groggily. "Oh, the light. Yeah, sure."

"Thank you. I'm sorry," Sarah apologized after the light clicked on.

"Don't be sorry. I should have thought about that. Are you okay?"

"I'm better now. I just felt alone in the dark."

Sarah didn't look like she really felt better. She looked frightened, but Mariah wasn't sure how to help.

"Do you want to talk? Either about what happened or about something else?"

Sarah shook her head. "I don't think it would help. I just want to feel safe. I know I am safe, but I'm still afraid because what's scaring me isn't what's happening right now. I'm still scared from before."

Mariah nodded. "I think I understand what you mean."

"I should be okay now with the light on."

"If I fall asleep before you do, wake me up if you need company, okay?"

Sarah nodded.

Mariah was drifting off to sleep again when she felt the bed shift. Sarah was sitting up in bed with her arms wrapped around her knees. Mariah scooted around Henry to sit next to her.

"I'm sorry," Sarah apologized.

"There's nothing for you to be sorry for. You've had a terrible experience. We can't just shrug it off like it was nothing. If there's something that would make you feel better, let's figure out what it is. If there's nothing we can do, then at least I'll keep you company."

"Thank you. I wish I knew what would make it better."

Mariah was torn. The only solution she could think of was Ezra. Sarah felt safe with him. Even if Mariah could talk Michael into letting Ezra sleep on the couch in her bedroom, she was afraid it might turn into a regular thing. She had a feeling Sarah was going to have to stay with them for a while. It wouldn't be safe for her to go back home.

Finally, she just asked. "Do you think you would feel safer in Ezra's room?"

Sarah looked up. "I couldn't do that."

"Okay. Just thought I should ask."

A moment later, Sarah asked, "Do you think he would mind?"

"Mind? Are you kidding? I was afraid I wasn't going to be able to get him out of here. He's been acting like your personal watchdog since you guys came back."

"He's been so nice."

"He's a nice guy, and I have no doubt you could trust him not to take advantage of the situation. I do think he's very interested in you, though. I'm not saying that means you shouldn't stay near him if that's where you feel safe. It's just that you've been through so much that I thought I ought to mention it, just in case you hadn't noticed it."

"Do you really think so?"

"That he's interested in you? Yeah, I'm sure."

"I was afraid I was just imagining it."

Mariah gave her a playful shove. "You knucklehead. He's mooning over you."

"I still don't know if I should spend the night with him. I just met him. That would just be weird."

"Then don't. We'll just sit up and talk. Maybe you'll get sleepy after a while."

They were talking about the latest antics of Mrs. Tellenbaugh's twins when Sarah suddenly stopped talking.

"What's wrong?"

"Do you really think Ezra wouldn't mind?"

"I'm pretty sure he would much rather have you close than be in his room worrying about you. But it's about what you want."

Sarah sat chewing her lip, looking uncertain.

"Do you want me to ask Michael to call Ezra and see how he feels about it before we actually ask Ezra if you can stay with him?