Molly woke early the next morning when there was a knock at the door. Rolling off the couch, she wrapped her robe around her and walked to the door, rubbing her eyes. "Can I help you?" she asked the boy at the door.

"Telegram for Miss Molly Gaines..."

"That's me..." He handed her the envelope and disappeared. She frowned a little and opened the envelope carefully. Upon reading the lines she yelled, "Andrew!"

"What?" he said, coming into the room with a yawn.

She shoved the telegram at him and began throwing her clothes into a carpetbag.

"What's going on? Where are you going?"

"Chris has been hurt. I'm going to Pleasant Valley."

"Hurt? How?"

"Spot said in the telegram that there was an accident at the cabin and Chris was hurt...that's all it said."

He nodded. "Contact us when you get there, all right?"

"As soon as I know something."

After a moment, he nodded. "All right."

She dashed into the bedroom and returned a moment later wearing one of her dresses. She hugged him and kissed his cheek, before running out the door.

"Be careful!" he called out after her.

"I will!" She hurried through the streets to the train, terribly worried.

~*~

Once in Pleasant Valley she rushed down the street to the doctor's office. Moments later, she burst into the office. "Where is he?" she asked Doc.

"Who?"

"Chris? Where is he?"

"He's in the back, resting."

Molly darted around him and ran into the back room.

"Molly, you can't just run in there."

"We're to be married soon," she said.

"Yes, but he could be asleep. You need to proceed quietly."

Sighing, she slowly opened the door. Chris was lying there, staring up at the ceiling. Molly was kneeling beside the cot, before Chris even realized that the door had opened.

"Molly?" he said drowsily. "What are you doing here?"

"Spot sent me a wire..."

He took her hand. "You didn't have to come so quickly," he said with a tired smile.

"I wanted to," she said, pushing a stray lock from his forehead.

He smiled a little. "Thank you."

"What happened?"

"Roof leaked...was checking for bad boards...found them..." He said the last with a little laugh.

She squeezed his hand.

He closed his eyes and fell asleep.

Molly looked up when the doctor entered. "Will he be all right?" she asked worriedly.

"His leg was badly torn up. He'll be able to walk again...but he'll always limp. He's very lucky he didn't hurt his back."

She looked at Chris again. If it was going to be a limp, she was happy. She had thought the worst when she got the telegram.

"He's going to be flat on his back for a while...and it will take a while before he gets his strength back..."

She nodded. "I understand."

"Will you be staying the night with him?"

After a moment, she nodded. "If I could."

"Just make sure you get some rest too, missy."

She nodded. "Yes sir. Thank you."

The doctor turned and left the room. Molly sat back on the floor and rested her head on the cot. She was so grateful he was all right. She could live with a limp.


~*~

Kendra walked beside Spot as they entered the doctor's office to take Chris home. The doctor smiled at her. "You can go on back...he's awake."

Grinning Kendra ran to the back room.

Chris looked over when Kendra entered. "Hey Short Stuff."

"Mornin' Daddy..." she trailed off. "Mommy?"

"Shh, she's sleeping," he told her.

Kendra crept closer. "When did she get here?"

"Late last night," he said.

She stopped a few feet from the cot.

"Come give me a hug, Short Stuff..."

She wandered over to him and gave him a fierce hug. "I was very scared!"

"So was I, baby...so was I."

"Are you all better now?" she asked.

"Not quite. It will be a long time before I'm better."

She hugged him tightly again.

He kissed her head. "I love you, Short Stuff."

"I love you too, Daddy."

Molly sat up slowly and rubbed her eyes.

"Mommy's awake!" Kendra exclaimed.

"Hey, sweetie," Molly said sleepily.

She scampered over and hugged her tightly. "I missed you Mommy."

"I missed you too, baby."

"Daddy got hurt," Kendra said.

"Yes, Spot sent me a message and told me."

"He gets to go home today..."

"Does he?" Molly asked. "That's wonderful!"

Spot and the doctor walked in. "About ready to head home, young man?" the doctor asked.

"Yes," Chris replied with a very firm nod.

"I'll be out in a week to see how that leg is doing...but I don't want you putting any weight on it until I say so."

He nodded. "Yes sir."

"Take him home, Mr. Conlon."

Spot nodded and with the doctor's help, scooped Chris up and settled him into a wheelchair.

"Can I push?" Kendra asked.

Molly smiled. "It's up to Chris."

"Why don't you come ride with me and let Spot push..." Chris suggested.

"Okay!" she exclaimed and climbed gingerly into the chair.

"Ready?" Spot asked.

"Ready."

~*~

Rae rushed out onto the porch when she heard the wagon pull into the yard. She wasn't surprised to see Molly in the wagon with the rest of the crew. It took nearly ten minutes to get Chris out of the wagon and into the house.

"How are you feeling?" she asked Chris.

"In quite a bit of pain," he answered with a wince.

"Do you need anything?"

"Doc sent some medicine with us," Spot answered for him.

"Does he need it now? Or for later?"

"I could use some now," Chris said.

Rae looked at Spot and he nodded. "It's about time for it anyway."

"Let's get you settled on the couch in the study first," Rae said.

"Okay," Chris said with a little wince.

Once Chris was settled on the couch in the study, Molly sat on a low stool beside him, while Spot and Rae went to get the medicine. "Did you want me to do anything?" Molly asked softly

"Just stay here with me for a while..."

"All right," she agreed with a nod.

"Can I stay too?" Kendra asked, trying to drag a stool over to the couch.

Chris smiled. "Of course."

"Momma..." Kendra said, bouncing onto her stool.

"What is it, sweetheart?"

"Gramma Noelle and Gran'pa Nick are here..."

She looked surprised. "Really?"

Kendra nodded. "Gramma Noelle came to help Rae...cause Dr. Trent told her to get lots of sleep..."

"Why'd they tell her that?"

"Marty says she got sick after Robe't and James and Lizzy came..."

Molly frowned a bit. "Is that so?"

"I think Marty talks too much," Chris said wearily.

"She tol' me!" Kendra insisted.

"Settle down, Kendra," Molly said, giving Kendra a look.

Kendra sighed and plopped back in her seat.

Rae walked back into the room with a glass of water. "Here you go, Chris."

"Thanks," he said, taking the glass and drinking the water thirstily. After taking the medicine Chris settled back against the pillows.

"Come on, Kendra," Rae said, taking the little girl's hand.

"But I wanna stay," she protested.

"Your Daddy needs a nap, honey."

She pouted.

Rae gave her a look. "None of that now..."

With a sigh, she followed Rae out of the room.

Chris looked at Molly. "I'm sorry..."

"About what?"

"This," he said, motioning to his leg.

"It's not your fault," she said, brushing a strand of hair from his face.

"This sets us back on getting the cabin finished..."

"That's all right. You just think about getting better."

He sighed and closed his eyes.

Gently, she squeezed his hand. "Go to sleep, Chris," she said softly.

"I can wait."

"Doc said you need to sleep as much as possible."

He sighed. "I know...."

"You take a nap...and we'll talk as long as you want when you wake up."

After a moment, he finally nodded. "All right..."

She tucked a blanket around him.

"Thank you," he murmured.

She kissed his forehead. "Sweet dreams," she said softly.

"Night," he whispered,

She sat with him until she heard the steady, deep breathing that indicated slumber. Kissing his forehead again before slipping from the room.

"How is he?" Spot asked when she entered the living room.

"Sleeping," she answered, sinking onto the couch.

"That's good."

Ann bounced into the room and crawled into Spot's lap. "Daddy..."

"What is it?"

"When am I gonna get to go to Brooklyn?"

"How about I take you up later this week? When things have calmed down a bit?"

"Promise?"

He smiled and nodded. "Yes, I promise."

She squeaked happily and ran from the room.

"What was that about?" Molly asked wearily.

"Ann is going to Brooklyn to become a ballerina."

Molly nodded.

"Yes, our newest guest sparked that desire in her," Rae said with a smile.

"Newest guest?" Molly asked. "You have someone besides Marty staying here?"

"Yes, a ballerina from Russia... also staying here, as per Sippi's word," Spot explained.

Molly nodded. "Never a dull moment, eh?"

"Never," Spot and Rae agreed.

Molly looked at Rae. "Kendra said you were sick..."

"Don't worry about me."

"What's wrong?"

She shook her head. "I'm fine."

Molly sighed deeply.

"How is North doing?"

"Still suffering from morning sickness..."

Rae smiled. "I can't wait to see her baby."

"She and Andrew are thrilled...she's spending a lot of time sewing baby clothes."

With a grin, she said, "I'll bet they are. Perhaps we should send a few things up to them, when you take Ann to Brooklyn, Spot."

He looked at her, concerned. "Are you sure?"

"Yes... why not?"

He kissed her forehead. "I just wanted to make sure..."

"Not clothes... because we don't know what the baby will be, but diapers, you know, a few of the necessities."

"I think you need the diapers more than North...you have three babies after all..." Molly said.

"Yes, but I know they could use all the help they can get. If worse comes to worse, I'll make more diapers. They're not that hard," Rae said with a smile.

"Where are those babies anyway...I haven't seen them in a long time."

"They're napping, right now," she said. "But they should be waking up shortly."

"Is Lizzy getting better?"

"Well, as better as she can get," Rae replied.

A baby cried. Molly stood. "Let me go..."

"Are you sure you want to? All three of them at once can be pretty tough... and once one wakes, the others will too."

"I'll call if I need help."

She nodded. "All right."

She left the room and came back a few minutes later with Lizzy in her arms. "James was still sleeping...and Robert just needed a dry diaper."

Rae smiled. "Thank you very much."

Molly smiled sadly. "Sometimes I wish I could go back and change the way things were when Kendra was a baby..."

"You couldn't have known. Besides, you'll have another chance when you and Chris get married," Rae replied with a smile.

Molly blushed furiously.

She laughed a little. "I'm sorry, Molly."

"I think I'll leave you two to talk," Spot said, leaving the room.

Again, Rae had to laugh.

"Rae..."

"Yes?"

"What's it like being married..."

"Well... for the most part, it's wonderful. Sometimes you get into little spats... but they always work themselves out."

"I'm scared Rae..."

"Why is that?" she asked, getting up and sitting next to the girl.

"I don't know..."

She tucked a strand of Molly's hair behind her ear. "There's nothing to be afraid of," she said with a smile.

"Did you ever get scared?"

"Just a little. But I knew I loved Spot very much."

"I guess I'm just nervous."

"It's okay. I was nervous too."

Molly glanced down at Lizzy who had fallen asleep in her arms. "Thank you for the dress Rae."

She smiled. "You're welcome. But you should thank Noelle as well.. It was hers first."

"I don't understand..."

"Noelle gave the dress to me, for my wedding, and now I'm passing it to you."

"You didn't want to keep it for Annie and Lizzy?"

"Well, it can go back and forth through the children, if they would like it."

"Kendra is excited about her new dress."

She grinned. "I'll bet she is."

"I feel so helpless Rae..."

"Why is that?"

"I can't do anything to help Chris's leg...and I can't do anything with the cabin..."

"I'm sure you could."

"Chris made me promise not to go out to the cabin until he had it finished."

Rae frowned. "That does pose a problem."

Molly sighed.

"Why don't you try making some quilts or curtains..."

After a moment, she nodded. "After all, the cabin WILL probably need new curtains and quilts and such..."

"We'll go shopping for fabrics tomorrow."

She smiled at Rae. "Thank you."

"You're very welcome."

Leaning back, Rae said with a grin, "Spot, you can come back in now."