"When will he wake up?" Sarah watched the pale, sleeping man in the guest bed. It seemed unnatural to see him so still, for two days now.

"Doc'll be in later today to check on him." Reece hugged his daughter. "You gave your statement to the Sheriff, right?"

"Yes, yesterday when you went into town." She looked her father in the eye. "Will Bill be charged with anything? Will he have to go to jail?"

"No, I don't think so. He was defending you." He hugged her again. "And I'm damn glad he did."

"How's Judd?" She shivered when she'd said his name.

"Healing." Reece's voice was icy cold. "Both him and Brad will be going to jail."

"I'm glad of that. I don't want to see either of them again."

"Where's my peace and quiet?" The gravelly voice came from the bed.

"Bill! You're awake." Sarah rushed to his side.

"I was trying to sleep." He smiled, relieved when he only saw one of her and that she didn't waver around in a sickening fog.

"You've been sleeping for nearly two days. It's about time you woke up." She kissed his forehead, brushed her fingers across his cheek.

"Welcome back, Bill," Reece said.

"I've been in and out. Everything was too blurry, sickeningly blurry. That's gone now." He moved his head and the room took a little longer to catch up. "Well, almost." He closed his eyes and swallowed the queasy feeling.

"I've got some water. Please drink some – just a little bit." Sarah held a glass of water to his lips tilted it so the water just played at his dry, cracked lips.

"Thanks," Bill said, his eyes still closed. "That was nice." His voice trailed off and sleep took him again.

Sarah watched him sleep. She had no words to describe how happy she was that he woke up and appeared to know them and talked somewhat coherently to them. Some of the things Doc had said that could occur when Bill woke had her scared to death. But, Bill had seemed pretty much normal. She was very grateful for that incredibly hard head of his. In her mind, he lived up to his name, translated and native.

She took his big, rough hand in hers. She jumped a little when he lightly squeezed her hand. Looking at his face, she checked to see if she'd wakened him. But his eyes were still closed and his face still relaxed in the healing sleep that she knew he needed. She laid her cheek on their joined hands, needing the contact. Closing her eyes, she soon drifted into dreams of Bill lifting her off Rosie, carrying her through the meadow and working shirtless on her corral fence. A smile twitched her lip as she dozed.

Sarah had fussed and nursed Bill for the week since Reece had last looked in on him. He found Bill propped up on pillows and Sarah shaving him.

"Oh, Daddy," Sarah acknowledged her father. "Bill's going to join us for dinner this evening." She scraped the straight razor across his stubbly beard, swished it clean in the basin on the table. "His hands are too shaky to handle the razor yet."

"I see." Reece studied the wan look of the man who'd saved his daughter from a harrowing experience, and possibly more. "You up for that, Bill?"

Sarah finished and wiped off the smears of shaving cream with a damp towel. "Yes, sir," he replied to his boss's question. "Time to get back on my feet."

Reece had briefly thought about getting a professional nurse to care for Bill's convalescence, but he knew Sarah would never allow that. Bill did seem to enjoy having Sarah doting on him, for which he couldn't blame the man.

Sarah carried the basin into the bathroom. Bill swung his legs over the side of the bed and stood, holding on to the bedpost to steady his weak legs. He eased over to Reece and put his hand out to shake. "Thank you for caring for me, getting me healed up."

Reece grabbed his hand and pulled him into a hug. "Thank you for coming to my daughter's rescue. If I'd seen what that bastard was doing, I'd likely be in prison for murder."

Bill backed out of the embrace. "If not for getting bashed in the head, I'd've been up for murder myself. Did Judd live?" He couldn't ask Sarah that, but Reece would tell him.

"Yeah, he's alive. A bit more dim-witted than before, but who'll care where he's headed." Reece nodded as Sarah slipped her arm around Bill's, steadying him.

"It's time for our walk now. You up for the stairs again?" She smiled up at Bill.

"You're a slave driver." He smiled back at her. "Let's go."

Reece watched as the big Indian shuffled along with his daughter. As they entered the hallway, Sarah slid her arm around Bill's waist, guiding him. Reece shook his head – they were both fully enjoying this and that had him smiling.