Brandon nodded, and Tim turned away, calling to the others.
Brandon made his way back to where Owen was just finishing tying off the makeshift bandaging around Sam's side.
"Almost done, here, Brandon." Owen glanced up at him, a teasing light in his eyes. "I believe with a little practice and time, Sam'll be as good a patient as you."
Sam's lips compressed and Brandon couldn't help but laugh at his younger brother's suppression of his argumentative nature. Sam met Brandon's eyes, and his mouth curved into a reluctant grin.
They started back through the woods, Travis in the lead with the lantern. Ben followed close to him. Owen seemed to stay nearby Sam, and after the first twenty minutes had passed, Brandon could see that Owen had realized Sam's injuries were more severe than he'd at first thought. Sam began to flag, and twice he stumbled.
Not for the first time, Brandon wondered just how much damage to Sam's legs had been done in the long-ago fire. He let Owen spend the first half hour or so nearby Sam, and then dropped back, himself.
"How does Travis do it?" Owen asked as Brandon joined them.
"He says his uncle taught him," Sam said, trying to catch his breath. "He was a mountain man – at least, that's how Travis tells it."
"You don't believe him?" Brandon questioned.
Sam didn't answer for a moment. "Everybody has their story."
Brandon and Owen exchanged a quick glance.
"What's yours, Sam?" Brandon asked softly. "You know, something's bothered me since we talked."
"What's that?" Sam's voice was cautious.
"Why did Isaac bring you back to the orphanage?"
"I—" Sam let out a sigh. He stopped to look at Brandon, his eyes haunted. "He had to get rid of me." Sam began walking again, Doc Morris lingering a few paces behind Brandon and Sam to give them a bit of privacy.
"Why? I thought you were his protection."
"There was a poster on me," Sam panted. "And, he was ready to move on – to his next family. Told me I was a liability to him."
"You need to rest, Sam?" Owen asked as a short silence fell.
"Uh-uh. I'm okay."
Owen chuckled. "That sounds familiar."
"We'll give it a few more minutes," Brandon said. "Then, I'll need a rest, whether you do or not, Youngblood."
Sam didn't answer, and Brandon felt an underlying tension in the air. "Let's hear it. What's on your mind?"
Sam stopped, looking up into Brandon's face. "Would you have killed him, to save me?"
All the doubt that Isaac had planted in Sam's mind seemed to overtake him, and Brandon's heart split at the low, unmistakable note of self-loathing that crept into his brother's tone. He turned to face Sam fully, placing both hands on his shoulders. From behind him, he heard Owen call to Travis and Ben to hold up.
"You knew I'd come for you, Sam. Didn't you?"
"Sure. I-I guess."
"You sounded pretty sure to me, when you were threatening Isaac with the prospect."
"I…hoped you would." His tone was almost shy at the admission.
Brandon's throat tightened. He hated Isaac Gabriel more in that moment than he'd thought possible. He was strong enough to take whatever his father dished out, but Sam hadn't reached that point yet.
"You listen to me, Sam. You're my brother – my blood—"
"So is he, Brandon – our blood. Would you have killed him?" Sam's face was haggard, his eyes full of despair. "You told me killing is a hard road to turn back from and I told you…I knew it. Some people – just need killing more than others. That man – our father – needs it the most—"
"Sam, stop. He does, but not by my hand – or yours. I'm glad I didn't have to pull the trigger, but by now, you should know the answer to your own question. I'd never allow that bastard to kill you, Sam – never. I was a second off that trigger. If you hadn't done what you did, and Mack hadn't come running to pitch in – Isaac Gabriel would be a corpse right now."
Tears came to Sam's eyes, showing bright in a flash of lightning. Brandon pulled him close in a rough embrace for an instant. "C'mon." He clapped him on the shoulder as he released him. "Let's sit down and rest a minute. It feels good to stop."
Ten minutes later, they started back toward the cabin. The rest of the walk through the woods didn't seem nearly as far as it had when they'd been pursuing Isaac, Brandon thought. His lips twitched. Maybe it was because he knew what awaited him at the end of the journey.
Home. And a woman who loved him.
****
"They're home!" Jay announced from his position by the window.
"They're home! They're home!" The other boys took up the cry, racing for the door.
Allie had been trying to occupy her mind and hands with mending. Some of the boys had fallen asleep on the floor and on the settee, after the warm cookies and milk. She had been sick with worry already, but when the rain had started thirty minutes earlier, she'd come close to taking up a lantern herself, and heading out to the woods to search for the others.