“It looks worse than awful.” Cheyenne’s lips formed a grim line. “You’re the doctor. Is there anything we can do to treat this? Or at least reduce the pain?”

“I’ll put some ice on it later. I need to see to Rachel.”

“Win is with her. Let’s get that ice on it now.” Wyatt let her go. “I’ll get it.” He turned and ran outside.

Kevin was next. He slid an arm around her waist. “Molly, tell us what happened. Are there other bruises? Did you fight him? Did he try—try to—to . . .” Kevin gave her a helpless, furious look.

Molly was glad Win was out of the room. This was hard enough to talk about without her knowing her father had done it.

Wyatt came storming back in with what looked like a snowball, which was a pretty good idea.

Cheyenne got a towel. Wyatt put the snow in the towel and spread it into a flat layer. He folded the towel over the snow.

As they worked, Molly said, “He grabbed me but nothing more, which doesn’t mean I need more than this to judge him as a brute. There are no more bruises, but believe me, this one is enough.”

She thought of how Hawkins had begun to talk to her before Kevin and Win came in. She didn’t mention that.

“After he released me, I went and changed my dress because I wanted one with pockets so I could hide those envelopes I found.” She’d told them how she’d found them in the safe. “I’d stuck them under the dresser in his room when I heard him coming. When I changed, I saw that my upper arm was red and swollen. The bruise hadn’t started to form yet. I was already disgusted with him and frightened of him before I saw how much damage he’d done. I’d already decided not to spend one more night in that house. I intended to leave, whether Kevin and Win had come or not.”

She looked at Kevin. “But you came at just the right time. Delivered to me by our faithful heavenly Father. Just as Wyatt came in earlier and lured him away to give me a chance to find that safe in his room.”

Wyatt brought the wrapped snow pack to her and pressed it around the bruising until her arm was wrapped. Only then did she realize her arm wasn’t just sore, it was hot.

“That really helps.” She looked up and met his eyes. “I-I think I’d like to sit for a while and let the ice soothe the pain. Then there’s so much to do. I need to get dinner and see to Rachel, then—”

Wyatt rested the tips of his fingers on her lips. After a long moment of silence, he tore his gaze from hers and looked at the witnesses all around them.