It was difficult for him to believe that she preferred this to all of the lighter, more fun things she could have been doing with her day, but beyond a doubtful look, Malachi did not express as much.

He held his hands as still as he could, but they shook. More so when Nettie applied the salve, drawing a stinging sensation to the cuts all over again, but Malachi didn’t complain and didn’t pull away.

“I will,” he promised quietly, watching her move onto careful bandaging. Meeting her eyes was too hard, again, now that the ache had stirred throughout his body with sleep.

“You did that very well,” Malachi praised, partly to distract himself. “Have you done this before?”