“Brrr.” Miriam stepped around her brother to put more wood on the fire. Of course, this bustling entrance awakened Gideon.
“Come on, lazy bones. It’s time to get up.” Miriam turned her back to the fire, apparently to warm that side of her, but it probably had more to do with watching her brother’s reaction to the teasing.
He offered a weak smile. “Just waiting for you to get my chores done, squirt.”
She eyed him knowingly. “I thought that might be the—”
Her last words were drowned out by an explosive cough from Gideon. His body wracked in the combination of a wheeze and a cry.
Leah was at his side in a moment, helping him lay back and stroking the hair from his face. Her heart raced as he fought through the pain to catch his breath
“Miriam, can you please get some pillows—at least three or four. We need to get him propped up so his lungs stay clear.”
Miriam—white-faced again—disappeared into her bedroom first, then Leah’s. She brought two pillows to Leah and said, “I’ll climb up to the loft and get the two from up there.”
Leah poured some of the Echinacea tea she’d been brewing for Gideon, and added another log to the fire.
When Miriam returned with the last two pillows, Leah knelt beside Gideon again. “We’re going to raise you up now and put pillows under your back.” She bent down to catch his gaze. “I don’t want you to do any of the work to sit up, do you understand? Just let us lift you.”
He raised a dark brow at her, but only said, “All right.”
With the women on either side of him, they managed to get the pillows under his upper body so he looked more comfortable. Miriam stepped back, and Leah held up the mug for him to drink. “This will keep you from getting sick.”
He tried to take it from her, but Leah kept a hand at the base. His fingers were shaking a bit, and she didn’t want him to dump hot tea all over himself. The last thing he needed was a scalding on top of those deep wounds.
As he drank, Leah couldn’t help but notice how long his dark lashes were. How had she never noticed that before? She wanted so badly to reach out and stroke his jaw with its day-old stubble.
His eyes raised to meet hers with an intense look, as if he could read her thoughts. Heat rose up her neck, and she looked away—just in time to see Miriam watching them with a twinkle in her sassy green eyes.
Thankfully, Gideon had finished the drink. Leah took the mug and almost ran to the kitchen. She began filling plates, forcing her mind to focus on the work at hand.
“Miriam, would you mind feeding your brother?” She kept her voice as schooled as possible, praying her friend would say yes to spare Leah more embarrassment.
Leah heard Gideon mumble something she couldn’t make out, but she thought it had something to do with being perfectly capable of feeding himself.
~
Despite the pain in his ribs every time he moved, it was driving Gideon crazy to see both women working so hard while he lay flat on his back. He had to get up. At the very least, he needed to relieve himself.
When the room was empty, with Miriam outside and Leah in her sleeping chamber, it was time to make his move. By grabbing onto a chair leg behind him, he was able to roll onto his side with minimal groans. His ribs were shooting fire, though, and it took all his power to keep from screaming. He pushed himself onto his hands and knees, squeezing his eyes tight against the spinning of the room.
“Gideon Bryant.”
He jerked at the sound, his eyes flying open. The world spun again, and he fought for control. And then he was falling, at least he thought he was. The floor pulled out from under him, but a soft hand caught his shoulder, gently lowering him to the blanket. He rolled on his back to see Leah’s wide eyes hovering over him, sparks flying from their green depths like a campfire when pine needles were thrown into it.
“What do you think you were doing?” She propped a hand on each hip, rose to her full height…and glared at him.
Gideon fought the urge to cower, but that was hard not to do when he was lying flat on his back with an angry she-bear standing over him.
“I need to get up.”
“Why?” She didn’t move, just kept her hands on her hips and her eyes sparking. Was she trying to stare him down?
“Because I have things to do.”
“What?”
He could feel his ire rising. “My chores for one. Then I need to get out to the herd. They’ve not had anything to eat or drink today.”
“Absolutely not.”
Who was this woman to tell him what he could and couldn’t do?
“Well somebody has to. I don’t plan to lose seventy cows and seven horses because you won’t let me off this floor.”
That seemed to make her pause. At least the sparks stopped flying from her eyes. She seemed to be thinking on his words. Hopefully, she was coming to her senses.
At last she stepped back and nodded, as if everything had been settled. “I’ll go out and take care of the herd.”
If Gideon hadn’t already been on the floor, her words might have knocked him down. “Absolutely not.”
Her chin came up. “Why not?” Her eyes began sparking again.
“Because you can’t go out there by yourself.”
“Why not?”
If she’d been close enough, he might have grabbed her pretty little shoulders and shaken some sense into her. Not really, but it made him feel slightly better to think it.
“Because you’ll get lost. And you won’t be strong enough to break the ice. And the animals will hurt you. And there are so many more reasons why you will not go out there.” He used his and-that’s-final tone that had always brought instant acquiescence from his siblings. All he got from Leah, though, was a raised eyebrow. The blasted woman.
Finally, her demeanor softened and she actually knelt down next to his pallet. Maybe that meant she was relenting.
“Gideon,” her tone was soft and soothing. “Like you said, the animals won’t make it very long without food and water. You need a few days to recuperate—you were attacked by a bear, for goodness sake. I’ve been out with you before, and you’re an excellent teacher.”
His mind wandered back to that day, specifically to that kiss, and by the bright pink of her cheeks it looked like her thoughts had drifted in the same direction.
He sighed. He really didn’t have much choice. His body was weak as a babe. And the animals couldn’t wait…
“All right, but feed them hay and crack the ice, then come right back. Do you understand? And take Drifter with you.”
Leah had been all smiles until his last statement, but now she wouldn’t meet his gaze. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
Now he was the one to raise an eyebrow. “Why not?”
“He has a wound on his side and leg. He’ll heal, but he needs to rest for a few days, at least.”
His chest tightened. His old friend…and he hadn’t even thought about the dog being hurt. “Where is he?”
One edge of Leah’s mouth lifted in a sad smile. “In my room actually. We made a bed for him by the cook stove, but he seems to like mine better. He’s comfortable, so I haven’t moved him.”
Gideon fought his own grin. That dog always had been a smart one.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Leah trudged through the snow with another huge mound of hay in her arms. It was nice to see the obvious appreciation from the animals, as they tore into the fodder with enthusiasm. But this working in the snow was hard. She would never admit such a thing, but it wasn’t nearly as much fun without Gideon there, either. Still, she was doing what needed to be done, and that in itself was rewarding.
After the hay was out, she’d finally made a decent size hole in the ice at the creek. Now she should doctor the animals the way Gideon had showed her.
She wandered around the herd, applying the black salve on injuries. Finally, she spotted the oversize calf with its scrawny mother. The cow appeared
to have gained a little weight since she’d seen it last. Good. Gideon’s strategy seemed to be working.
She got the black cream on the cow’s udder without much trouble. The calf had a gash on the side of its nose, though, and that would need some medicine, too. The little guy was in an energetic mood.
When she first approached, it bolted away, lunging through the high snow and stirring a few other calves to escape with him.
Leah tried again, edging in his direction with her clean glove outstretched. When she neared him, she crooned, “Come on, little guy. I just need to put some medicine on you. It won’t hurt, I promise.”
He let her come close, but when she reached to grab his neck, the calf twisted away. With her upper body leaning forward but no calf there to catch her, she toppled into the icy snow. It covered her coat and snuck in under her collar, snatching her breath with its icy blast.
That little brat. Leah struggled to her feet and forced herself to creep toward the animal’s new location. Was he sticking his tongue out at her?
After two more tries, Leah succeeded in swiping the black goo across the obstinate calf’s wet muzzle. She dragged herself back toward the little barn, removed the glove she’d used for the medicine, and closed the door, barring it in place.
When she turned to the spot where she’d tied her mare by the tree line, Leah stopped and blinked. Surely her eyes were deceiving her. There, where she’d tied one horse, now stood two—both wearing saddle and bridle and nuzzling each other affectionately.
Leah stepped forward. The second horse was Gideon’s gelding, the one that had been missing since his attack. She approached the animal with her hand out, and let him sniff her until he seemed satisfied. Then she ran her hands down his neck and over his body on both sides. Both the reins were torn near the bit, and the saddle was covered with snow and scratches, but the horse seemed to have escaped injury.
She attached a rope to the geldings bridle and mounted her own mare, then began the long trek home. By the time they arrived, Leah was wet, frozen, and starved. Why hadn’t she packed food to sustain her under the hard work? Is this what Gideon went through every day? And on top of caring for the herds, he did all the hunting, splitting wood, repairs on the house and barn, and who knew what else.
Miriam met her in the yard, and her face lit up at the site of the weary threesome. She motioned for Leah to dismount, then took the reins and rope, stroking the gelding’s wooly neck. “Where did you find him?”
“I’ll tell you inside. I’m frozen.”
Miriam gave her a sympathetic look. “Of course. You go in and warm up. I’ll take care of these guys.”
Leah didn’t have the strength or desire to object. She nodded numbly and trudged toward the house.
When she opened the door, a wave of warmth hit her like a beautiful melody, bringing with it the aroma of stew. Her attention pulled toward the pallet in front of the fire, searching out Gideon’s face. He was where she’d left him, propped up on pillows and a sort of roguish half-smile on his face. She removed her jacket and gloves, then moved toward the fire.
“How did it go?” Gideon’s warm voice did as much as the fire to thaw her aching body. Leah turned from the flame to look at him. He’d changed into a clean shirt, the green one that always illuminated the emerald in his eyes.
“Everyone’s good. I found your saddle horse, too.”
His brows rose. “Really? Where at? Is he all right?”
Leah nodded, the corners of her mouth pulling at the eagerness in Gideon’s voice. “He showed up next to my mare just before I left the herd. His reins were broken and a few scratches on the saddle, but other than that, he didn’t seem any worse for wear.”
Gideon’s features relaxed as she spoke. “Good. Did you have any trouble cracking the ice in the creek?”
Memories of the half hour she’d spent hacking at the stuff with that heavy ax, flitted through Leah’s mind. But no need to worry Gideon with that kind of detail. “I got it done.”
She forced her frozen cheeks into a reassuring smile. “I cracked the ice and doctored the cuts, and put out hay. Which reminds me, there’s not much hay left in that shed, maybe enough for another day. Is there more somewhere else?”
Gideon’s brows knit and he pursed his lips. “They’ll need to move to the north pasture soon. I have more hay stored there, and the grass is tall under the snow.”
Leah put on her best I-don’t-think-so face. “Just so you know, unless that can wait at least two weeks, you’re not going to be the one moving them anywhere.”
His brows left their thoughtful furrow to raise high on his forehead, lending to his suddenly-annoyed expression.
“I’ll do what I need to do.” He ground out the words through a tight jaw.
Perhaps discretion would be the better part of valor in this case. After all, they had at least one more day to argue about this before she moved the cows herself.
Leah moved from in front of the fire to sit in the chair near Gideon’s feet. She tried to keep her posture as friendly as possible. “So tell me how you’re feeling.”
The muscles in his face relaxed, and his eyes softened to a friendly glow. “Some better. My ribs hurt to move or breathe, but the throbbing in my head’s down to a dull roar.”
“And you’ve been lying still all day? Not up at all?”
His easy expression changed to a dark look. “Yes, thanks to the prison guard you posted.”
Leah couldn’t hold back a chuckle. “Sounds like Miriam’s been obeying orders. Good girl.”
~
The sounds drifted to Gideon of Leah stacking dirty dishes on the kitchen table. The way his pallet was positioned, he couldn’t see her without craning his neck—and that would make it very obvious he was watching.
So, he allowed his gaze to drift toward the fire and his mind to picture the image Leah made across the room. She was something to see, with her slender womanly frame and the elegant way she moved, even when she carried a stack of dirty dishes to the wash basin.
It was getting harder to remind himself he wasn’t going to let another person close to him again. With the spunk, wisdom and sheer determination she contained in that pretty little package, Leah could easily fit into his world like his buckskin gloves fit his hands. But he would not love and lose again.
“Gideon.”
The musical voice behind him jerked his attention away from the fire. Leah stood beside his pallet, apprehension tightening her face and a stack of folded bandages in her hands. She really did look like an angel.
“Yes.” His voice caught on the word, probably because his mouth had gone dry.
She wouldn’t look him in the eye. “I…need to change your bandages.”
It took a moment for the meaning of her words to sink in, then his mind ran ahead to what it would be like for this woman to tend his wounds. He wasn’t sure he could handle that. She would be very close. Close enough to weaken his willpower.
“Miriam can do it.” He could hear the harshness in his tone, so he tried to moderate it. “When she gets back from the barn.”
Leah nibbled on her lower lip. She looked nervous, but maybe that was uncertainty instead.
She took a deep breath, her pretty little nostrils flaring with the action. “I… I don’t think that’s a good idea. Miri, well…” She released the breath and finally met his gaze. “Your wounds are pretty bad. It was really hard for Miriam, with the bear and you hurt. She didn’t do so well. I… I just thought it would be a good idea if she didn’t have to see it again until you’d healed some.”
He was a selfish heel. All he’d been thinking about was himself, but Leah was trying to save his baby sister from more pain. He nodded, heat seeping up his neck.
While Leah settled herself on the floor next to him, Gideon unbuttoned his shirt and steeled his nerves.
She looked at his bandages for a moment, then said, “Do you think you can raise up on your elbows so I can remove the dressing?”
This was going to be tricky. Any time he used his stomach muscles, his rib felt like a hot branding iron searing his insides. Still, he’d have to do this and not let on he was in pain, or Leah would never let him out of this confounded cabin.
Gideon leveraged first one elbow, then the next, clenching his jaw against the fire inside. Thankfully, she worked fast, and the pain almost kept him from noticing when she wrapped her hands around his chest to pass the roll of bandage from one side to the other under his back. Almost.
“There, you can lie back now.”
Good thing, too, ‘cause his muscles were one breath away from turning to jelly from the pain.
He focused on keeping his breathing slow and even, while Leah examined his cuts and dabbed them with a wet rag. Then she laid clean Juniper leaves and cloth squares over his wounds, and picked up another long bandage. He bit his lip, mentally preparing for what was coming next.
“Do you think you can raise up again?”
If only he could say no. But instead, he forced his elbows underneath his body again and squeezed his eyes shut against the agony.
It seemed like a very long time before she said, “I’m done.”
Gideon fell back, exhausted, and measured each breath so as not to stress his ribs. Something tugged on his shirt, and he opened his eyes. There was his angel—the one who had just put him through so much agony—sweetly fastening the buttons on his shirt.
Gideon reached a hand to stop her. Doing his own buttons was the least he could do. When he touched her, she froze, her eyes drifting up to meet his. His gut squeezed at her tortured expression.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered.
It was all he could do not to pull her to him and kiss her until all the pain in his body and soul was gone. Instead, he slipped his hand around her soft, slender one, then raised it to his lips.
He meant to kiss the tops of her fingers, like a knight greeting his princess. But his mouth found its way to the soft, fleshy part of her palm. He savored a single kiss, then his eyes found her gaze again. “You’ve nothing to be sorry for.”
Mountain Dreams Series: Books 1 - 3: Mountain Dreams Box Set 1 Page 20