It was a miracle every time he laid eyes on her. A wonder, that he’d managed not to ruin her too.

Malachi took the satin cloth, staring down in admiring inspection of the careful design. Even as Nettie took his other hand, he didn’t take his eyes off of the handkerchief until they reached the hotel.

He was aware of her worry. He knew what she was doing, getting him a damned room, stuffing him into another enclosed space she thought he couldn’t get out of.

Or… maybe that hadn’t been her.

“Thank you, dear,” he said in spite of it.

He couldn’t remember the last time he’d been hungry, but Nettie had went through the trouble of making lunch, and he didn’t want her efforts to go to waste.

“Sit with me. How are you? Have you seen that boy again?”