Mountain Dreams Series: Books 1 - 3: Mountain Dreams Box Set 1
Page 9
“Just…my leg and…my chest…I think.”
“Leah.” Miriam’s face came into view beside her brother’s.
Gideon didn’t acknowledge his sister, but studied Leah’s skirts with a wrinkle between his brows.
“I’m going to need to move your skirts a bit.” His gaze went to Leah’s face. “Is that all right?”
“Yes,” she gasped. If he could make the torture stop, he needed to get on with it.
He eased the bottom of the skirt up on her right side until she saw a flicker of ache in his eyes. He sucked in a breath.
“I’m going to carry you into the house now. It’s going to hurt, but we have to get you inside so we can splint your leg. You can scream or squeeze the life out of my arm, whatever you need to. All right?”
He looked at Leah like he was waiting for her consent. What else was she going to do? The pain was excruciating, but she instinctively knew Gideon would do everything he could to make it bearable.
Miriam’s gentle hands propped up her shoulders as Gideon’s large arm slipped behind her. His other arm went under the bend of her knees, and the touch seared like fire in her bone. Leah sucked in her breath and grabbed his shoulder, trying to claw away from the agony.
“Easy there. I’ve got you. Easy now.” His steady cadence and the smoothness of his movements helped calm her a bit. His chest was strong, like a shelter from the raging torment. Leah buried herself in it. Was this what it felt like to hide under the shadow of the Almighty’s wings?
Too soon, she felt herself being lowered into a bed. Again, the touch of her foot on the mattress sent a jolt of fire through her leg.
“Miriam, I’m goin’ to get supplies from outside. Need you to gather a long bandage to wrap the splint and some clean cloths.”
“All right, and I’ll put on some Willow Bark, too.”
Leah heard the exchange from far away. The misery inside her was the only thing that would hold her attention. She tried reciting Scripture under her breath.
“The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures. He leadeth me beside still waters. He restoreth my soul.” She wanted to scream, it hurt so bad. “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil for Thou art with me.”
A cool cloth covered Leah’s forehead and a gentle hand smoothed the hair away from her face. Leah opened her eyes to Miriam’s sweet smile.
“Gideon will be back in just a minute, and he’ll get you fixed up.”
Leah’s mind was so foggy. “Is the doctor on his way?”
Miriam’s voice was sad. “I’m afraid there’s not a doctor in Butte or anywhere close. The closest is in Helena, about five hours away.”
Leah tried to sit up. “Is he going to take me in the wagon then?”
Miriam gently pushed Leah back against the pillows. “Shhh… Lay back down. The wagon ride would be harder on you than anything, and probably mess your leg up even more. ‘Sides, Gideon knows what to do. He always was the best at doctoring people and animals. He’s splinted more legs than I could count on both hands.”
Just then, the man himself entered the room, with two flat boards in one hand and a small leafy branch in the other. He moved around to the foot of the bed near Leah’s injured leg and placed the boards on the floor.
He looked into Leah’s face. “How’re you feelin’?”
She tried to form a smile, but wasn’t sure her features made it. “Hurts.”
A wave of sadness washed over his expression. “I’ll be honest, it’s gonna hurt a bit more when I start workin’ on it, but then you’ll feel better.” His eyes met hers with an intensity. “Do you think you can make it?”
Leah could only nod. If she could look into his deep emerald eyes the entire time, she just might be able to do this. He seemed satisfied with the nod and turned to his sister.
“Is the tea ready? She needs some before we get started.”
Miriam disappeared from the room, and Leah watched while Gideon tore the long cloth into strips about the length of his arm. He eased the skirts up again and, making sure nothing touched her leg, he positioned the boards on either side of the broken bone and the cloth at regular intervals along the wood.
“Here you go. This’ll help with the hurting.” Miriam entered the room with a steaming mug and a spoon. She ladled the bitter stuff slowly into Leah’s mouth until Leah finally shook her head.
“I can drink. Just help me.” If this stuff would make the pain go away, she wanted it down as quickly as possible.
When the mug was empty, Miriam stepped back and Gideon took over.
Standing by her leg, he looked into Leah’s face again. “I need you to stay as still as possible, all right? Even when it hurts.”
Leah nodded, biting her lower lip. “All right.” Her voice sounded as small as she felt.
She watched as Gideon rested her leg on the cloth bandages, tucking some of the leaves from the branch against her skin. He wrapped both hands around her calf, and she forced her mind to focus on the feel of his callused hands instead of the burn inside her limb.
And then, with a flick of his wrists, he squeezed and jerked her leg in a single excruciating movement. An explosion of white fury shot through Leah’s body. She moaned and clutched Miriam’s hand, unable to contain the torment inside.
A gentle hand stroked her hair, and tears streamed down her face. But she was too miserable to care.
Gideon positioned the boards and tied strips of cloth around them about every six inches. He used the remaining fabric to tie her foot up so her ankle made the shape of an “L”.
When he finally looked up at Leah, the torture on his face matched what radiated through her body.
“I’m sorry.” He almost whispered the words, but Leah understood his meaning. She answered with a nod, hoping he understood her own silent message. He hadn’t wanted to inflict so much pain, but he had to so the leg would heal correctly. She understood.
Miriam appeared at Leah’s side with another steamy mug before Leah realized she’d gone.
“Here. Drink one more cup of the tea and we’ll let you sleep.”
Leah was too exhausted to do more than swallow as the warm liquid poured down her throat. When it was finished, she sank against the pillows and was asleep before Miriam left the room.
~
Gideon stood in the bedroom watching Leah sleep. She looked so small and fragile, surrounded by pillows with her leg cinched between two planks. She was small and fragile. What was she doing out here, anyway? This country was wild and tough—not for the delicate.
He couldn’t shake the feeling of her snuggled in his arms as he’d carried her. It had been so long since he’d held a woman that close. It made him want to protect her, to shield her from all pain and danger. It had been harder to splint her shin bone than any other he’d had to fix. Knowing the agony he was inflicting had almost sent him storming out the door and far away from the cabin.
How had he let this happen in the first place? It was that blasted porch. If he’d put a rail around it like he’d thought about doing so many times, this never would have happened. Well that was something he could fix now.
But then a niggling of responsibility kicked in. He’d fix the porch right after he gutted the deer. No sense in wasting good meat.
~
The pounding wouldn’t stop.
Bang, bang, bang, bang.
“Oohh… Come in.” It was more of a moan than a call. She needed to make the pounding stop.
Bang, bang, bang, bang.
“Leah?” Miriam poked her head in the door. “I thought I heard you awake. How do you feel today?”
“Oooohh…” She wanted to clutch her hands over her ears. Between the fire in her right leg and that awful racket, she could just scream.
Miriam’s head disappeared from the doorway, then reappeared again with the rest of her body, hands carrying a wooden tray.
“You’re probabl
y hungry, and ready for some more tea, huh?” She set the tray on a bedside table and reached for the mug. “Let’s start with the tea, though.”
Leah nodded. “What is that banging?”
The corners of Miriam’s mouth lifted. “Gideon.”
Leah gave her an annoyed what-are-you-talking-about look. She didn’t have the pain tolerance for word games right now. “You mean Gideon’s tearing the house down?”
Miriam giggled as she held the cup to Leah’s lips. “No, silly. He’s building it. Adding a rail around the porch, that is.”
Leah felt her brows arch, taking the cup from Miriam’s hands. “He is?”
Miriam looked so proud of herself. “Yep,” she sank onto the bed and leaned forward like she had a great secret to tell. “He felt terrible about you falling. He’s been out cuttin’ wood half the night and should be done with the porch in just a bit.”
Leah took another swig of the bitter drink and sank back against the pillows. “But it wasn’t his fault. I lost my balance, that’s all. It was my own mistake for leaning over so far.”
Miriam’s green eyes lost their vibrancy for a moment. “Oh, Gideon always takes other people’s problems on himself. Blames himself for everything bad that happens around here.”
Leah reached for Miriam’s hand. “Please tell him my accident was not his fault. He needn’t feel bad about it.”
The twinkle reappeared in Miriam’s eyes as she reached for Leah’s empty cup and replaced it with a bowl of mush. “You tell him that yourself. Now, eat a little bit before the tea puts you back to sleep.”
Leah wrinkled her nose. “I can’t sleep all day. I need to be helping you with your work. Is there something you can bring me to do in bed? Sewing maybe?”
“Hush now.” Miriam rose from the bed as if to escape the talk of Leah working. “You need rest to help your leg heal. But maybe I’ll bring in potatoes this afternoon and you can help me peel them for dinner.” She held up a finger. “If you rest all morning and are feeling better by then.”
Miriam leaned forward to plant an affectionate kiss on Leah’s forehead. “Just put your bowl on the tray and I’ll be back for it in a while. Sweet dreams.”
It wasn’t until after Miriam had left the room that Leah realized the hammering on the porch had stopped. She felt a smile touch her lips. Maybe Miriam was right. Gideon—the mountain man—could be kind and considerate.
Chapter Thirteen
Leah stretched and shielded a yawn, careful not to move her lower body. Miriam’s light tap sounded on the bedroom door. “Come in.”
The sweet, perky face appeared in the doorway, framed by blond wisps that had escaped the knot on her head. “Are you up for some company?”
“Oh, yes.” Leah didn’t even try to hide her eagerness.
Miriam pushed through the doorway with a leather sack, a bowl, and two knives. “I need to peel potatoes for dinner and thought you could keep me comp’ny if you’re up to it?”
“I believe your offer earlier was for me to help, so I fully intend to hold you to that. I feel like a lazy bum lying in this bed all day when you’re both so busy.”
As soon as she finished speaking, Leah realized the irony of her statement. Three months ago, she wouldn’t have thought twice about lying around all day. Her life had been full of leisure and reading, with a party thrown in here and there for spice. What a different person she was becoming. A better person.
Miriam didn’t sit until she settled Leah comfortably against the stack of pillows, knife in hand, a rag in her lap to catch the peelings, and the bowl in between them.
Leah picked up a potato and looked at the knife, trying to determine the best way to go at this. Finally, she held the underside of the potato in her left hand, and the knife in her right, blade facing away. She skimmed the top of the potato with the knife, stroking away from her body. After the first slice, only a few small brown strips of potato peel had been removed. Leah frowned at the potato. This might take longer than she’d thought.
“What are you doing?”
She looked up to find Miriam watching her, curiosity smothering her face.
“Trying to peel this potato.” She worked to keep annoyance from sneaking into her voice.
“Did you bump your head when you fell?”
Leah gave her a dark look. “No.”
Understanding flowed over Miriam’s face, and she covered a giggle with her hand. “You’ve never peeled potatoes before, have you?”
Leah pushed down her defenses. “I’ve never had the opportunity to peel them before, but I’m sure I can do it.”
Miriam nodded. “Of course you can. Here, hold your knife like this.” She demonstrated turning the knife so the blade faced toward herself. “And peel the potato toward you, but watch your thumb. You want to take just the top layer off and not get very much of the white meat.”
Leah studied as Miriam peeled a continuous strip that wrapped all the way around the potato almost two times before breaking. That looked easy enough. She tried the same and came away with a peeling about the length of her thumbnail. Maybe it was a little harder than it appeared, but she would get the job done.
They worked in silence for a few minutes before Leah felt she had the hang of it enough to talk while she worked. She was dying to know the story that had brought the Bryant family to such a remote part of the country. Besides, it was probably better for the potatoes if Leah asked the questions and Miriam did most of the talking.
“So, have you always lived in the Montana Territory?”
“No, we moved here when I was five.” Miriam kept her eyes on the potato zipping around in her hands. “We used to live in Kentucky, on a little farm near Lexington. But Pa and Mama came out west to claim land under Lincoln’s Free Homestead Act.”
Leah had a faint memory of her father talking about the Free Homestead Acts. He’d said they weren’t a good idea, that they would encourage Europeans to come to America to claim the free land. It was good that hadn’t been the case for the Bryants.
Miriam continued. “We just had ten acres back in Kentucky, and Pa was a tobacco farmer, but he always wanted to raise cattle and horses on a big ranch. He finally had the chance to make his dreams come true.”
Leah smiled. “Not everyone gets that chance, but I’m glad he was able to. He certainly picked a beautiful place to build a ranch.”
Miriam flew through the potatoes, peeling at least three to Leah’s one, despite the fact she was doing most of the talking.
“Yep, it is a pretty place. Pa got the ranch started and taught the boys how to tend to things. Winters are hard, though, and we lost him in a snowstorm almost six years ago.”
“Oh, Miriam, I’m so sorry.” Having lost her own father eight months earlier, Leah knew what her friend had gone through.
The girl shrugged. “Yeah, it was hard. Hard on us all, but especially Mama. She loved Pa so much, she never was the same after he died. She took sick the next fall and died of a fever, but I think it was really a broken heart that took her.”
“And how old were you when she passed?” Leah asked quietly.
Miriam sighed. “I was eleven.”
“Oh, Miri… You were just a girl.” Leah laid the potato in her lap and released her own sigh. “I was sixteen when my mama died, but I had Emily to help me through things.”
“Who’s Emily?”
“She was my governess growing up, but she stayed on to be my companion after Mama died. I don’t think I would have made it through those years without her.” Not ready to keep the conversation on herself, Leah redirected the topic. “So do you raise both cattle and horses here?”
Miriam nodded, not seeming to mind the switch. “Mostly cattle, but we have three broodmares now. Gideon likes the horses best, even though they’re a lot of work to raise and train before they’re ready to sell.”
Leah hesitated to comment on the man, but finally said, “Gideon seems like a hard worker who can do most anything.”
“The bear?”
Miriam swallowed. “That’s how Abel died. He tangled with a grizzly, we think, but we never saw the bear. Gideon found him in the woods after his soul had already gone to be with Jesus.”
Miriam’s voice grew husky, so Leah allowed silence to settle over them, except for the scrape of knife against potato. She looked up to check on her friend a few times, and when a tear rolled off the end of Miriam’s button nose, Leah leaned over to stroke her shoulder. Anything she could say would only make it harder for her friend.
A few minutes later, Miriam set the last of the peeled potatoes in the bowl and rolled her shoulders, reaching to massage her neck. Her lips curved into a timid smile through the mist in her eyes.
“Leah, in case I haven’t said it enough, I hope you know how excited I am you’re here. I haven’t sat and peeled potatoes with another woman in years. It’s good for the soul, I tell ya.”
Curious, Leah decided to ask one more question. “Don’t you have any female neighbors close by?”
“Nah, most of the spreads around here are 160 acres or more, so the houses aren’t very close together.” She began gathering the potato bag full of peelings and the knives. “To the east is John Stands-alone and his son. John’s half Sioux and they keep pretty well to themselves. On the other side is a trapper fellow we call Skeet. He comes over for dinner every now and then.” She flashed another smile, this one brighter than before. “If we’re lucky, he brings his fiddle.”
Miriam dropped a kiss on Leah’s forehead. “I’ll bring you some more Willow Bark tea in a minute, then you get some rest, all right?”
That sounded like an excellent idea, as Leah sank back against the pillows. It was relieving that her leg didn’t hurt so much when she visited with Miriam, but it ached like crazy now. And she was so tired…