"I'm just getting ready to take care of it now," she said.

"You wait until your mama's done and then you can go outside."

Winn started to lift Greg off his leg but the boy clung to his neck.

"I'm not going outside unless you are." He had promised Winn that he would never go anywhere without him.

"Don't be silly," Winn said, hugging the small warm body."Your mama's going to put a fresh bandage on my hand. I'll be fine.""Then carry me out of the house." The little arms tightened around Winn's neck.

"You can't let a blind man carry you around. You'll get hurt." Winn could

hear Cynthie's rag slide across the floor. Surely she would come and s.n.a.t.c.hthe child away from him. He listened for an exclamation or hasty footsteps."I'll watch where we're going," the boy encouraged.The rag continued to swish nearby. He even thought he heard Cynthie humming softly but wasn't sure. His own heart was pounding loud enough to drown out

a thunderstorm.

"You're a crazy kid and deserve whatever happens to you," he muttered in the boy's ear as he stood up.

Greg giggled and leaned away, pointing.

"Go that way."

"Greg!" Winn held him more tightly. He heard the panic in his own voice and

couldn't understand why Cynthie didn't come rescue her baby.

He counted the steps to the kitchen door, trying his

best to take normal-size steps, knowing he couldn't while holding the child.

"Will we make it through the doorway?" he whispered.

"I can reach the top of the door!" called Greg.

Winn felt the jolt as the boy grabbed the upped sill and was glad he had been moving so slowly.

"Don't do that," he pleaded."There's no gla.s.s on the kitchen floor. You can walk now."Greg threw his arms around Winn's neck."There might be," he said solemnly.Winn took a couple of steps into the kitchen."There might be stickers outside. Do I have to carry you around everywhere?""Yes." The boy giggled, but he let go and Winn helped him gently to the floor.

Winn heard Cynthie come in behind him as Greg dashed out the back door, let ting it slam behind him. He heard the sound of a stove lid dropping into

place. "Have a seat, Mr. Sutton. I'll have the coffee on in a minute and wecan get to your hand."Winn gritted his teeth. Did she have any idea what he had just been through?

Well, he would find a seat or trip over one. As he took a step forward, he

realized that he already knew where the back door was.

The sounds had helped him place both it and the stove. The table would have to be ahead and to the right.

He knew the room was small. One more step and he set his hand down on the

edge of the table. A second later his other hand found the chair.

He sat down and rested his arm on the table, feeling very proud of himself.

He didn't realize that he was smiling.

Neither did he know that Cynthie had been watching and that her smile

matched his. She went quickly back to the coffee preparations."Louie or Peter will be taking us into town sometime this week," she began.She set something on the table. The soft thud wasn't enough to tell him what.i.t was.

"I think you should come with us."

He didn't want to go to town. He didn't want to stumble into people.

He didn't want Cynthie to see how frightened he was by the whole idea.

She had taken his hand and turned it over.

"This could sting," she warned.

The next instant Winn jerked away as she proved her words to be correct.

Winn didn't know what she had used but it was probably unnecessary and

definitely unappreciated. He bit back a curse and let her wrap a bandagearound his hand. Her touch was gentle and soothing, and her hair, as shebent so close to him, smelled fresh and sweet. And her.

heart could give a man frostbite, he reminded himself. She was about as

predictable as Lullaby.

"You'll enjoy a trip in to Wichita," she said as she gently let his hand rest on the table.

Now she was even going to tell him what he enjoyed! He wondered if his face showed his irritation and decided he didn't much care.

"Yes, ma'am," he said.Cynthie studied her patient as she brought the cups to the table. He wasobviously not happy with the idea. How could she make him see that gettingout would be the best thing for him? Somehow she had to make him want to goto town.

Winn heard her set something on the table. China

cups. He could tell bythe clink they made against the saucers.

"There's always a lot going on in town," she said as she returned to thestove for the coffee.

"Greg loves the noise and activity. I'm sure he'll want to show you around."

Winn pictured himself being dragged down crowded streets by a little boy,knocking over ladies with their arms full of packages, pushing aside men whomight want to push back. He would certainly make a comical figure in afistfight. Everyone in town would find it entertaining.

Winn heard the splash of coffee being poured and felt its warmth as thesaucer was moved next to his fingers.

A moment later he heard the clang of the pot being returned to the stove, andCynthie's voice came nearer as she spoke.

"You must get rather bored here."

Winn took a careful sip of the hot coffee. It all seemed very strange.

Here he was, trying to drink coffee in the dark with a woman he didn't know,trying to keep a handle on his life, which seemed to be slipping out of his grasp. What did she want him to say? Yes, I'd love to go to town and make afool of myself. No, I'd rather stay here and make a fool of myself inprivate.

He set the cup back on the table. He didn't dare move his hand away from it;he might knock it over reaching for it again. He ran his other hand throughhis hair and instantly regretted the nervous gesture.

"There's a barber in town."

"What?" Winn was startled. Her tone had changed from conversational to

nearly excited.

"I said there's a barber in town. Your beard showed care when you came here.

Wouldn't you like to have someone trim it?"

' "You're pleased with yourself for thin king of that, aren't you?" Hehadn't meant to say it aloud, but the change in her voice had beenremarkable. To his surprise, she laughed.

' "You listen better than I realize. Yes, I am pleased, . or I will be if

you agree to go.""I may be getting a little s.h.a.ggy, at that," he said. He had been thin kingthe same thing that morning. He automatically felt his face and realized hehad let go of the coffee cup.

As he began a search for it, he found his hand captured between Cynthie'ssoft palms."I know it will be hard for you, but you have to keep trying.It would be too easy to hide here. Can't you see that? "Winn wanted to tell her that he didn't see anything. That was the problem.

How could she possibly know how hard it would be for him?

He was saved from ma king any sort of reply by Greg, who burst through the front door and sprinted into the kitchen. Winn found the soft hands replaced quickly by the china cup.

"There's a rider comin'," the child announced. "What's there to eat?"

' "You ate enough at the church picnic to last most people a week," he mother said.

"Besides, I'm all out of sweets."

Greg had quickly climbed onto Winn's lap. It

looked like a well-practiced routine.

"Then I'll drink Winn's coffee." He giggled.

Winn kept a firm grip on the cup.

"Little boys don't drink coffee."