Her eyes lifted to his and he suddenly saw it...the longing, the craving to be loved. But surely not from a man like him. She would have nothing if he took her as his bride. She would have to live at the clinic with him until he earned enough money for them to have a small house, and even that wasn’t good enough for her. She deserved a fantastic life, and all he could offer her was his heart. If only that were enough.
“Olivia, we’ve talked about this enough. You are not going to be on your feet today, no matter what. The babe is more important than the posada. I will not see you do something foolish.”
“What is foolish is the way you continue to block me from getting anything accomplished. I’m not ill, Gabby, and neither is the babe. Trust me, he or she has been kicking up a storm all morning long.”
Gabby didn’t want her feelings to be expressed on her face as hope blossomed in her. Perhaps the babe was finally starting to turn. “Nonetheless, you will remain in bed. Tonight you can come out and join us for the posada, but merely as a participant, and no dancing.”
Olivia sat on the edge of her bed, her arms crossed over the top of her large belly. “Gabby, you don’t get to tell me what to do. Now, I’m grateful to you for your help, but—”
“Angel, you’re going to listen to her. And I’ve brought the doctor along to be sure you follow orders.” Cade walked into the room with Luke immediately following. Luke glanced over at Gabby and flashed her a brief smile, before focusing on Olivia.
“We’ve all been trying to get you to understand how important it is for you to rest, Olivia. We’re telling you this to protect you and the babe.”
Olivia threw up her hands in frustration. “How many times do I have to say that the babe and I are just fine? We’re both healthy.”
“Good. And we want to keep it that way,” Gabby said sternly.
With her lips pulled into a thin line, Olivia stood and began to head to the armoire for one of her dresses. “I’m tired of talking. And I’m tired of lying in bed day in and day out. This posada is important to me, too, Gabriella, and I will be a part of it.”
Gabby moved quickly to stand in front of Olivia, blocking her from the armoire. “I won’t let you, Olivia. You know how much I want you to join in the preparation. But I won’t risk you or the babe, and you should keep that in mind.”
“Oh, for the love of God, Gabby, get out of my way!” She shoved Gabby hard on her side, and much to the shock of everyone in the room, including Gabby, she gasped loudly.
“Gabby? I didn’t hurt you, did I? I didn’t mean to push you too hard...” Her voice trailed off as Gabby shook her head furiously.
“You didn’t hurt me. You just...surprised me with your strength. I’m fine.”
With a dark frown on his face, Luke headed straight for Gabby, but she flinched away from him when he reached for her. “Gabby?” His tone was firm, but she backed away from him until she bumped into the armoire. She could feel tiny beads of sweat collecting on her forehead, even though she felt cold.
“What is going on, Gabby?” Olivia demanded.
“There was an accident at the clinic yesterday,” Luke said, even though Gabby was adamantly shaking her head no. “Gabby was hurt when the roof caved in on her.”
“Why didn’t you tell us?” Cade demanded, stepping forward and pulling Olivia back to the bed without her realizing it.
Gabby shook her head. “It’s only a scratch. I’m perfectly fine.”
“Then let me examine you.” Luke’s eyes were locked on hers, and she felt trapped.
“We don’t have time for this today, Luke,” Gabby said with exasperation, and then tried to move past him. His arm shot out and caught her around the waist and she couldn’t contain her small whimper of pain. He pulled his hand back and there was blood on his fingers.
Gabby blinked rapidly as she stared at his hand, and then the room went topsy-turvy as he swept her up into his arms and strode out the door, turning to his own small room. Distantly she could hear him talking to Cade, but she kept her face buried in his shoulder, embarrassment washing over her.
When he set her down on his bed she began to push away from him. “I can tend to it myself, Luke. Please. It isn’t that severe.”
“It’s worse than I thought it was yesterday,” he said, still frowning. “I should have checked on it last night. We’ve been so preoccupied telling Olivia to rest and take it easy that we haven’t seen that you are working yourself into the ground. I’m sorry. This is all my fault.”
“Seriously, I can take care of myself. And this isn’t your fault in the least.”
“So you continue to say.” He glanced up when Serena entered the room, holding rags and a pitcher of warm water. “Now, we need to get you out of this dress.”
Serena and Angie managed to undress Gabby for Luke while he gathered his supplies out of his medical bag. They had semi-wrapped her in a blanket for modesty and warmth when they told him he could turn around and finally treat her.
His heart ached as he looked at Gabby lying on the bed, her entire frame shivering. He moved forward and Angie and Serena stepped back, giving him some room, but just barely enough.
“Are you cold, Vixen?” he asked softly, so softly that the other two women couldn’t hear.
“I—I don’t know. I suppose so. That must be why I am shaking.”
“Or you may be in shock from an infection settling into your wound. Or you could be nervous about me touching you—treating you.”
She darted a glance at him, and he was once again captivated by the colors that swirled around in her eyes. How could she not see how beautiful she was? Who had misled her so completely? Just looking at her took his breath away, and he wished so much that he could be the man who would spend his life with her. But there were better things coming her way—he knew it.
“I suppose it could be a combination of all of those things,” she said hesitantly, her eyes studying his face, and he wondered if she could read his thoughts.
He focused on her wound, trying to force his mind off of how alluring she looked, and ignore the temptation to gaze upon her with eyes that longed to see more of her smooth, creamy skin. The cut was angry. It was bright red all around the main puncture, and the scrape that went all the way to her hip bone was crusting with a clear fluid. At least it wasn’t pus—yet.
He wanted to hang his head in frustration. But he was a doctor. This was what he did for a living. He couldn’t change the fact that a woman he was coming to care for deeply was being impacted. If anything, that stirred him to care for her even more carefully.
“We’ll need to clean the wound first,” he said, hoping that talking it through with her would make it much easier on her. “From there, I’m going to need to give you some balm to ease the infection, and stitch up the main cut. It’s much deeper than we realized initially.”
“What’s in the balm?” she demanded, her eyes narrowed at him.
“Gilead, olive oil, eucalyptus, and beeswax.”
Her eyebrows lifted. “That is something I would use. Are you sure you didn’t just accidently go through my medical bag instead of your own?”
“You made many assumptions about me, Vixen. Some were true, but I am not your typical doctor. I see the benefit of using the land around us to heal us. It is what God gave us, right?”
She gave him a weak smile. “Yes. You are right. About many things.”
“Now, ladies,” he said, speaking loud enough that Angie and Serena could finally hear him, “I’m going to need your help. You’ll need to hold her still. This first part is going to be rather painful.”
Chapter Twelve
She had cried. She had tried so hard not to, had tried so hard to be brave and strong. But nothing had stopped the tears from running down the sides of her face as he had cleaned her wound. She didn’t make a sound, but the tears couldn’t be stopped.
She wouldn’t make eye contact with Luke, even though a part of her wanted to. A part of her wanted to know
that he was with her, that he was there to give her some of his strength. But she couldn’t let him know that she was so weak that she needed him. That she wanted him to need her, too.
The pain was intense as he used warm, damp towels to clean the wound. But when he poured the alcohol on the deepest part of her wound, she couldn’t hold back her short cry of pain before blissfully succumbing to the black hole that opened up before her.
When she awoke, he was watching her closely, holding one of her hands in his. His face held many different emotions, but he smiled when he saw her eyes open, though the smile didn’t quite reach his own eyes. “Hello, there, Vixen. You’re all stitched up and ready to conquer the world.”
That brought her awake much faster. “How long have I been asleep?”
“Only an hour or two. They’ve just barely started serving breakfast.”
She tried to scramble to a sitting position but groaned as pain shot through her side. “I must go help! There is too much that must be done today. I have a whole list of things we have to take care of, and there are only so many hours of daylight before the procession for the posada will be upon us.”
Luke sighed heavily and slid an arm under her, carefully lifting her to a seated position. “I suppose you won’t follow the doctor’s orders to rest in bed for the remainder of the day and give your cut a chance to heal.”
“You suppose correctly. Besides, you’ve already cleaned it, disinfected it, and stitched me up. There’s nothing left for you to do.”
“Very well,” he said tensely, and helped her to her feet, holding her for several seconds as she got her balance. God, how good his arms felt around her. The strength and vitality coursing through him, the confidence, the feeling that she could be safe for the rest of her life if she stayed in his arms. She shook her head at herself. What she was wishing for could never happen. Her life had been determined for her a long time ago—and she was at the mercy of someone she barely even knew.
And yet, the man hadn’t come to claim her. If he didn’t come by her twentieth birthday, the agreement would be null. Was that what he was doing? Allowing their prearranged marriage deadline to expire so he wouldn’t be forced to marry her? She didn’t have any way of knowing. There was only a month left for him to claim what had been given to him, and she feared it would be the longest month of her life.
“Thank you for everything you’ve done, Luke,” she said softly, not quite able to look at him.
“It’s what friends are for,” he replied, though the tone of his voice sounded off. He almost sounded angry.
Reluctantly she broke free from his hold and walked to the door. She couldn’t stop herself from turning to glance at him, but his back was to her as he stared out the small window of the room. Drawing a deep breath, she closed the door behind her and plunged forward into her day, unwilling to let anything disrupt the joy of preparing for the posada.
The entire house smelled of spices and cooking, to the point that the smells wafted out onto the streets. Customers began coming in and asking for whatever was cooking, and the family reminded them of the posada that was coming that night.
Luke had taken his time freshening up before coming out after Gabby had left his room. He kept telling himself that she didn’t see him the same way he saw her. Hell, she didn’t even see herself the same way he saw her. He didn’t know why she thought she was so plain and ordinary.
Had her brothers tried to teach her that so she wouldn’t fall for a man? Had her parents told her those things? Neither of the options seemed plausible. Her family loved her and treasured her—they would never say anything to hurt her. But the fact remained that she doubted her own beauty and charm.
“Oh, Luke! I’m so glad you’re finally here,” Serena said as he walked into the dining room. She was working on something on the table, but he couldn’t quite make it out.
She grabbed his hand and began to head towards the kitchen. “It’s almost time to pull the hog up from the ground. We dug the pit yesterday and have had the hog cooking all night. It should be perfect by now. It’s my favorite thing to eat at the posada!”
He had no idea what she was talking about. “Exactly what am I going to do?” he asked hesitantly.
She looked back at him with a perplexed face. “Help get the hog out,” she said, as if it was a given that he should know.
“Ah,” he replied, still feeling completely clueless.
As they were rushing through the kitchen, she swung around the corner, dragging him behind her, and he crashed directly into Gabby. The sweet smell of her hair greeted him and he instantly released Serena’s hands so he could hold Gabby, pretending to steady her.
She looked up at him with her mesmerizing eyes and gave him a weak smile. “I’m sorry. I was in too much of a rush...”
“No, no...it was my fault. I wasn’t paying attention. How do you feel? Your stitches...”
“I’m fine. You did a good job. I thought you said stitches weren’t something you are strong at doing.” A teasing smile lifted the corner of her mouth. “So you’re going to help them with the hog?” she asked, her eyes searching his face for something, but he didn’t know what. A sign that he cared about her more than he let on? A glimpse into the feelings he had pounding at the surface of his heart?
“As far as I know, yes. That’s what I’m supposed to be doing.”
“And he’s going to be late if we don’t hurry up,” Serena said, tapping her foot impatiently.
Gabby glanced over her shoulder, then back at Luke. “It would seem you have a schedule to keep, and an overeager assistant to get you there. Go. Have fun.”
He wanted to kiss her. Just a small kiss to see the joy in her eyes, to see her happy again. But he knew it wouldn’t be he who made her happy.
With a frustrated groan, Serena grabbed his hand and pulled him away from Gabby and back towards the rear door of the kitchen. Luke was about to ask about coats, and suddenly realized she had one, but his was still in his bedroom. But before he could ask to go back and get one, they plunged out into the cold weather and down the stairs to a massive square pit in the backyard.
Several men stood around it—men who looked old enough to be grandparents themselves. There were a few strapping younger men, and he was grateful for their presence and could only pray that they would be the ones helping him lift the few-hundred-pound hog.
Abuelo approached him, a large smile on his face. “Today you join us in one of our most prized traditions,” he said, clapping a hand onto Luke’s shoulders. “Every year we roast a pig in the ground as a special treat for the posada. Once you’ve tasted this, you’ll be anxious for Christmas to get here every year.”
Luke doubted that. Christmas was never a joyful time of the year for him. It had only been in the last few years that he had been able to enjoy the comfort of being indoors during the cold, which had made the day bearable. But there was no gathering of family or friends. Not true friends at least. There were plenty who wanted him to attend their parties for a different reason, but he always declined.
But there was something different with this family. They were genuine and sincere, wanting him to be a part of the celebration and enjoy himself. His mind flashed to Gabby and the special moment they had shared out in the cold, watching the posada, his arms wrapped around her, his chin resting on her head.
“Are you paying attention, Doc?” Raphael asked, his tone still slightly aggressive towards Luke.
Luke looked him straight on and almost wished for a fight. He wanted to punch something. He wanted to feel the rush he used to feel when he... He forced the thoughts from his mind. “Yes, I understand. At your call we will all pull evenly on the rope to haul up the pig.”
Raphael nodded, but said nothing more. The strapping men Luke had seen earlier grabbed ropes, as did some of the older gentlemen. He moved quickly to a spot and grabbed a rope. It was made of rough hemp, and he knew his hands would be sore after hauling up the massive pig. But he couldn’t
deny that the smells coming up from the ground were enough to make his mouth water.
“Ready, men...now!” Raphael called, and he, too, began to haul on the ropes, hiking the pig up slowly, slowly.
Luke felt a small sweat build on his forehead. Had they deliberately made sure he was on the side with all the weaker, older men? He glanced over at Raphael and saw Gabby’s brother grinning at him and realized he had been set up.
He was so annoyed by the move that he began hauling harder on the rope, pulling the pig up faster. “Easy there, Doc, we’ve got to all move together.”
“Then pick up the pace, gents! This pig is ready to come out.”
Not to be outdone by the British doctor, the men began to haul harder on their ropes, and within minutes the pig was out and they were carefully hauling it to a large wooden table. Luke followed their lead and helped remove the wiring that had held the pig wrapped together, and then peeled off the burlap bags that had kept the pig moist.
The pig carcass wasn’t the most pleasant thing to see, but it certainly smelled wonderful. Much to his surprise, a few of the men peeled back the skin of the pig and grabbed pieces of meat. Suddenly a piece of meat was being presented to him, and he looked up to see Raphael holding it.
“For a job well done,” Raphael said, shrugging slightly, as if casting off past insults.
Luke nodded his head to him, then took the piece and tasted it hesitantly. The flavors that burst in his mouth made his cheeks ache momentarily and then salivate for more. He ate the rest of the meat he’d been handed eagerly. It wasn’t until he’d finished it that he realized everyone around him was silent.
He looked up and saw they were all watching him. “It’s delicious,” he said with sincerity. “May I have some more?”
There was a roar of laughter as all the men went back for second pieces, teasing each other about who could make a better roasted pig, and who had done the best job in setting the pit, and Luke was loving every minute of it. He had heard of men from a large family getting together for parties and sharing jokes and jabs, teasing to express their love for each other. Now he knew what it felt like. It was absolutely marvelous.
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