I lost my appetite after seeing Jasper covered in blood. When Joseph brought him downstairs, he was in a clean set of clothes and the crimson splatters were washed off his skin. They sat around the table eating, but I pushed my food across the plate with my fork. The heavy nausea would not leave my stomach.

Miles had not come inside. He must have been outside handling the body. A string of questions would not leave my mind. Did he tell Jasper to kill an outsider? Did he help him? How was it done? Did he make Jasper hold a weapon?

Joseph did not speak to me about what happened. He spoke to Jasper and Simon like nothing had ever happened. Jasper also mentioned nothing about what occurred outside. Did Joseph tell him to be quiet?

Luckily, Joseph kept the boys entertained while I washed the dishes. Miles was still outside. My hands trembled, causing me to nearly drop multiple plates. If I had to listen to Jasper's endless questions or Simon's constant energy, I may have snapped and yelled at them.

I was nervously wiping the counter with a rag when Joseph walked in. He was holding onto Jasper and Simon's hands. Simon eagerly tried to run toward the staircase but could not get far due to Joseph's grip.

"They want to sleep in Jasper's room tonight," he said. "I am going to put them to bed and read them a story."

I nodded. A lump had formed in my throat, and I was afraid my voice would crack if I tried to speak. I turned and continued to wipe the counter while I listened to them walk up the creaky stairs.

I chewed on my lip as I continued to clean. Each time I looked through the bars on the window, the farm was dark and I could not see Miles anywhere. My heart was pounding in my chest, causing my chest to tighten and making it difficult to breathe.

The lock clicked, and I took in a sharp breath as the door opened. Miles's shirt was soaked in blood. Red streaks were smeared across his cheeks like he had attempted to clean himself. There had been so many times I had seen him covered in an outsider's blood. He never said anything about what happened, and I did not question it. He was doing what he needed to so our family could be safe, but why did he have to get Jasper involved?

My knees buckled as another wave of nausea crashed over me. My head spun, and I placed my hand against the temple. I placed my hand against the counter to keep myself on my feet. Miles stepped forward, but I shook my head.

"No," I said, managing not to break out into sobs. "Stay back."

Miles furrowed his brows as he looked down at his bloody clothes. He fumbled with the buttons on his shirt. I focused on my breathing so that I would not be sick or cry. Miles hated it when I cried.

He dropped the shirt onto the floor in a crumpled mess. There were a few streaks of blood that had soaked through his shirt and were spread across his arms and chest. He stepped closer to me again, but I lowered my hand. Any attempt to push him away would be useless. His rough palm cupped the side of my face, but I did not let go of the edge of the counter. His face returned to his emotionless mask as he stared down at me.

"Why are you upset?" he asked.

I let out a shaky breath, hoping my voice would not wobble or crack. If I became emotional, he would not listen.

"I am not upset," I lied. My voice was soft but steady.

"That's a lie," he said. "You never lie to me."

Miles stretched his thumb out so it brushed across my cheek. Was I crying? My eyes and nose did not burn with tears. I needed to keep my composure. It had been years since Miles forced me to rest because of one of my meltdowns.

"Jasper was covered in blood." Once I started speaking, the words tumbled out of my mouth without control. "Joseph would not tell me what happened, but he was covered in blood. Joseph said he was not hurt and Jasper was smiling, but there was so much blood. What happened outside? What did he do? How could you let him be near something so dangerous? He is just a little boy. He cannot-"

"Maisie," he cut me off. "Do you not trust me?"

"Of course I trust you. It is-"

"Maisie." He silenced me again. His hand stayed on my cheek, but his fingers curled into my hair. "If you trust me, you need to listen."

His grip tightened on my hair, causing my scalp to burn. I gritted my teeth as I tried not to hiss out in pain.

"Jasper needs to learn how to keep this family safe," he said. "Both of the boys need to know how to keep the family safe. What if I get sick? What if I die? They need to know what to do. My father is useless at this, so he cannot teach them."

"He's a little boy," I said. My voice was barely above a whisper. "He's too young."

Miles gave his head a slight shake but did not loosen his hold.

"It is better he learns when he is young," he said. "He was safe with me outside. I was with him, and I made sure that the drunk intruder could not hurt him. When he gets older, he will be strong enough to do it all himself. I will teach him how to keep this family fed. It will be the same for Simon. They need to learn how to protect this family. One day, they will have their own wives and sons to keep safe."

I closed my eyes and let out a deep breath, trying my best to push away my tears still threatening to erupt. He was right, and sobbing about what he had to teach our sons would not help any of us. I moved my shaky hand off the counter and over to Miles's side. I stepped into his chest, but his grip remained on my hair. His other arm snaked around my waist and pulled me even tighter into his body.

It was a crushing hold, but I did not care. I squeezed my eyes shut to seal away any potential tears and focused on my husband. Feeling the heat of his bare chest and hearing the beat of his heart was comforting. Despite the smell of blood that lingered on his skin, the tension was able to leave my muscles.

"No one will ever hurt us," Miles said. "Do not get emotional about what I have to teach the boys. You need to trust me. No crying and no questions."

I nodded, not wanting to speak. He kissed the top of my head before placing his hand on my hip.

"Go upstairs," he told me. "You need to rest."

He pushed me back a step but did not let go. His touch was rough as he pulled my hair to force me to look up at him. A small smile was on his lips. He curled his fingers into my hip.

"I love you," he said.

"I love you too," I said.

"And you trust me?"

I nodded, wincing when his grip pulled my hair. He leaned down and kissed me. His lips were soft and gentle, but the tight grip remained on my hair. My mind swirled with the mixture of his touches. It had been so long since he had grabbed me in such a rough way. When he broke the kiss, his smile was even wider.

"Get into bed," he said. "I will be there soon."

He let go of me, and I took a step back. Without a word, I turned and walked toward the stairs. I rubbed the tender part of my scalp as I walked toward our bedroom. Joseph's voice and a few soft giggles caught my attention. I went past our bedroom door and walked toward the noise.

Jasper's door was open a crack, and the light from the oil lamp poured into the dark hallway. I peered through the opening to see Jasper and Simon lying in Jasper's bed. Joseph sat on the edge with a book in his hands. The few times I tried to read to Jasper, he interrupted me with questions every few minutes. I could not see Joseph's face, but he kept his voice steady as he made up answers to Jasper's imaginative questions. Simon was repeatedly throwing Clara's knitted blanket over his head before tossing it down the bed.

My heart fluttered as I watched the wholesome moment. My family was safe and happy. Jasper was not upset about whatever happened outside. He did not even seem changed after what he had done. He was still my little boy.

This was our family, and I needed to trust Miles. He always cared about us, and he would never do anything to harm us.