Read The Survivor for Free Online Page B

to take a closer look at the baby animals.
    But at the moment, she could hardly bring her feet to move. “Hi,” she said.
    When he looked her way, Mattie noticed his expression didn’t change. If anything, it looked almost blank, like a fresh chalkboard. “Mattie, what brings you here?”
    “An apology.”
    Straightening, he looked at her curiously. “For what?”
    “For you know what. I shouldn’t have pushed you away at the lunch, and especially not with everyone else looking on. I’m mighty sorry for that.”
    He stilled, gazed at her for a long moment, then waved his hand in front of him. Just as if he was shooing a fly away. “It was nothing.”
    Just the fact that he was being so accommodating meant it was definitely something. If he hadn’t been upset with her, he would’ve been teasing her. “I don’t know why I didn’t want to talk to you,” she said, struggling with every word. “I guess I was feeling hurt. It’s hard for me to think about you being with Jenna.”
    Anger flashed in his eyes. “I wasn’t with her. At all, Mattie. She’s lying. I don’t know why, but she is.”
    A secret part of her felt that he was, indeed, telling the truth. Which, of course, made her feel even worse. She needed to make amends, and quickly. Stepping closer, Mattie lightly touched his arm. “Do you have time to go for a walk now? If so, I’d be happy to walk with you.”
    His eyebrow rose as she curved her hands around his elbow. “You sure about this?”
    “I am. I told you I was sorry, and I came all the way over here to apologize, too. You ought to believe me, Graham.”
    Almost imperceptibly, his shoulders relaxed, then he glanced at her again. “Now that I’m not so angry, I’m beginning to see why you might not want to be seen with me. People might talk.”
    “I wasn’t worried about gossip.” Struggling with her roiling emotions, she blurted, “Graham, I was upset about you and Jenna. I didn’t want to think of you two like that.”
    “And now?”
    “And now I realize that I have been terribly foolish. Come on, Graham. Let’s go. If you can leave those bunnies.”
    Graham chuckled under his breath, an unhappy, derisive sound. “This is a nightmare. I’ve been found guilty without ever getting a chance to speak.”
    “Don’t worry. People know you. Things will get better.”
    “Not without more pain.”
    “Your faith will help.”
    By mutual agreement, they kept walking, away from his house and the barn—back onto the path that their footprints had marked so many times over the years.
    Above, dark clouds began to blow in, darkening the November sky. As the silence between them dragged and the clouds continued to roll in, hanging low, Mattie felt as if the whole world was closing up on them.
    Graham was still terribly angry with her, that much was evident. As she felt his anger and sadness float over her, his reaction made her ache. She was so used to his open affection and support; more than anything, she wished she could take back the past two days and do things differently.
    The fanciful thoughts brought a chill to Mattie’s spirits, and to her skin. Glad for her thick cloak, Mattie wrapped her arms around herself. The cancer drugs had left her immune system low, and now she got cold so easily. And sick easily, too.
    As a breeze sailed through the valley, she trembled, then glanced at Graham to see if he noticed. Out of habit, she’d become used to Graham always noticing her physical condition.
    She’d gotten accustomed to him fussing over her, doing his best to make sure she added layers. She couldn’t count the number of times he’d wrapped one of his knit scarves around her neck, or slipped a warm arm around her shoulders.
    But today he was oblivious to the drop in temperature and how it affected her. Or perhaps he didn’t care.
    She supposed she didn’t blame him. But it was time to discuss things before they had to turn back. “Graham, what is this about you and