Free A Walk In The Wilderness by Nancy Hopper Page B

heart to the Lord. 
     Though David knew he hadn’t truly meant to, Skyler had just driven a whole handful of barbs into a tender, innocent heart.   Skyler Vaughn was just a selfish man, looking for a fawning woman to toy with.  He never stopped to think further than his own needs.  David had seen it more than once.
          He shook his head as he began to see that it was going to be up to him.  The Lord had put him in this lamb’s path at a crucial moment, to save her from deeper injury and disillusionment.  He had no choice.  He put a gentle smile on, and turned her chin in his hand. 
         “Caitlin, I’ll do all that is within my power to shield you from Skyler and his jealous lady love, while we're here.  I'll not let them torment you, and make you the center of their war.  They do it well enough without anyone else being involved.  You can only be hurt, Caitlin.”
        David realized he’d said something very wrong, as all of the blood drained from her face. 
         “Mr. Majors, that will not be necessary.”  She objected immediately.  “I plan to just fade back into obscurity and busy myself in my boring, normal life.”
     David saw and felt a great terror welling up within her.  He began to realize that she was truly quite shy and naive.  She was not at all the type to hang out with a traveling musician.  Even a Christian one.  He wondered just how far this mess had gone.  Had Skyler compromised her?
         He turned his head away, and shook it to shrug off that line of thinking.  It made him angry to think about it, and he knew that clearly this had been Skyler’s objective, whether achieved or not.  He doubted that he’d had her.  She seemed too shy and timid, too unwilling to trust easily.  Yet again, he reasoned, it could be Skyler’s betrayal that had caused that very reaction.  Time would tell.
         He was moved with compassion for the girl.  He began to be very sure as he looked into her deep, green eyes that she was just an innocent victim.  God help her, if so.  He smiled, and she darted her eyes away from his.
        “Hey.  I’m a friend, Caitlin.  Didn’t I just save you from that she-wolf back there?”  he teased lightly.
          She smiled nervously, and nodded.  David found her a bit charming.  She was beautiful when she smiled, and she had a shyness that was not contrived.  He began to see more clearly that Skyler had taken his best shot; but this lamb had not fallen.  She was just pretty, and young, and normally, very careful. 
          He took in the dark, auburn waves of her long hair and her sparkling, green eyes. He saw the smooth loveliness of her skin, and the pretty shape of her features.  He saw the curve of her lips, the sprinkling of freckles on her nose.  And he began to see clearly why Skyler had been so attracted to her.
     “I want to thank you, Mr. Majors.  God only knows what would have happened to me, if you had not intervened.”  she said softly.  He liked the soft brogue in her speech; the sweet curve of her lips when she spoke.
         He smiled.  “Only He does know.  But I’m glad I was there to help.  You know, Caitlin, we had better think about what we’re going to do, when you get home.  I hate to alarm you, but I’ve been around these two more times than I’d care to tell you about.  I’m not certain that you’ll be safe in your room.  Skyler’s guttersnipe is out for blood, and she’s not afraid to go after it.”
         Caitlin blanched, and looked up at him with fear in her eyes.  “Oh, I don’t know.  I just don’t know!  Why did I ever go out with him?”
           David chuckled.  “That, I can’t answer.”
         “He seemed very nice!  He was handsome, and talented, and I was truly flattered that he wanted to go out with me.  He seemed … different.”
           David nodded.  “Too bad his charm only goes skin