Chapter 24

24

T he next morning at breakfast, Leah bided her time through the meal, waiting for the right opening to make her request. She'd fixed warm sourdough biscuits with thick gravy and bacon—Gideon's favorite. Hopefully the food would work its magic. He seemed to be in a decent mood despite the snowfall through the night, so after she refilled his mug for the second time, Leah posed her question. "Gideon, would you mind if I ride along and help with the cattle and the horses today?"

He had just sipped from the mug at his lips, but as soon as she got the question out, he made a loud choking noise. After several coughs, he managed to compose himself, turning red-rimmed eyes to her. "Ride…with me?"

She almost giggled at the shock on his face.

"I'm dying to get out and ride again, and I thought there might be something I can do to help out there. Maybe work with the horses or doctor wounds on the animals?" She turned her most hopeful smile on him, the one that had always worked with the men back in Richmond.

His pinched lips showed he wasn't convinced, and he looked almost ready to turn her down.

"I promise I'll stay out of your way. But I can work with the foals on their leading and handling. It's been so long since I've seen little Trojan, I'll bet he's growing up." If Gideon would just look at her, she had a better chance to convince him. But he kept his gaze determinedly pointed at the table.

"You should let her go with you." Miriam's interjection succeeded in raising Gideon's focus from the table.

He studied his sister's face for a moment, although his thoughts seemed far away. At last, he sighed and turned to Leah. "I guess you can go. But only until we come back for lunch, and you have to do exactly as I say."

A rush of excitement washed through her. "Thank you, Gideon." She almost jumped up to give him a hug, but that may not be a proper response. She settled for quickly stacking the dirty dishes on the table. "I'll wash these quickly and be ready when you are."

Miriam rose and made a shooing motion. "Leave those alone and get dressed for the snow. You can't take away all my fun today."

By the time Leah put on three extra petticoats, two pairs of stockings, and her gloves and coat, Gideon had his horse saddled and was tightening the girth on the chestnut mare Miriam usually rode.

As she approached, he lowered the stirrup and turned to hand her the reins. "This is Annabelle. She's a good little riding mare, been Miriam's for about five years now."

Leah took the leather pieces and reached out to stroke the flat part between the horse's eyes. "Hey there, Anabelle. You ready for a ride?" She turned back to Gideon with a smile. "All set?"

His eyes skimmed her frame, then shot over to the saddle, brows lowering in question. "You can ride, right?"

"Of course." She pushed as much assurance into her tone as she could. No need to tell him she'd never ridden astride before, only sidesaddle. Both legs around the horse could only be easier, right?

She draped the reins over the mare's neck, then turned slightly while Gideon cupped his hands to give her a leg up. Every nerve heightened with his nearness as she placed her boot in his palms and vaulted into the saddle, the mare shifting a bit under her weight.

"Easy, girl," Leah murmured, trying to keep her befuddled nerves from making a fool of her.

Gideon placed her left foot in the stirrup while she settled her skirts, then he stepped back and glanced up at her. "Everything all right?" The wrinkle between his brows and the seriousness in his tone reflected genuine concern.

She flashed what she hoped was a confident smile. "It feels good to be in the saddle again." And it did. Many long months had passed since she'd had the chance for a horseback ride. The leather hugging her lower body was comfortable and secure.

Miriam came out on the cabin's porch to wave them off, and Annabelle fell into step behind Gideon's bay gelding as they left the yard. The trail he took was slightly downhill and seemed to wrap around the mountain.

A companionable silence settled over them, broken only by the creak of her saddle and the snow-covered nature around them. This world was a mostly-undisturbed blanket of white, with ice covering the branches and evergreen needles.

The ever-faithful Drifter trotted behind, following in the tracks the horses made. The snow came to the knees of Gideon's horse, so the poor dog would have worn himself out if he'd tried to break his own trail.

After a while, Gideon raised a hand to point at tracks in the snow about thirty feet away. "See that deer trail over there? I've gotten more bucks here than any other place on the ranch. It seems to be their main path down the mountain."

A few minutes later, he showed her long, deep scratch marks in the trunk of a cedar tree. "Those were made by a mountain lion, probably a female from the closeness of the claws."

Goose flesh rose on Leah's arms. "Are there a lot of mountain lions around here?"

He shrugged. "They come and go. There's enough wildlife to feed on in this area that they've never bothered us or the stock. You'll see their signs, though."

She'd never been this close to the wilder division of God's creations. Wouldn't it be amazing to actually see some of the animals he spoke of?

Not five minutes later, her wish came true when they rounded a bend in the brush and found three deer standing in the trail. The animals started when they saw the horses, then leaped into the woods, vanishing as quickly as they'd appeared.

"Oh…" Leah breathed.

She caught a smile on Gideon's face as he glanced back at her. "We're almost to the best part."

This whole ride had been the best part so far. What could possibly be next? The trail moved out of the woods, and she had to blink as the brilliant sun glinted off the snow. Gideon reined in his horse, so she rode up next to him and did the same.

As her eyes adjusted to the light, she sucked in a breath. Before her lay the most amazing view she'd ever seen. They were near the edge of the mountain, with small pine trees covering the steep descent. Far below lay a valley, blanketed in white with a darker line snaking through the center, which must be a stream. Beyond the valley, another range of mountains rose majestically into the clouds.

"It's remarkable." Her chest ached with the beauty of it all.

"It is." Gideon's tone had taken on a timbre of pride, as if he were presenting his own offspring. "This is what I love the most about the high country. The enormity of it all, and the magnificence. The wildness. It's as close as I've been to heaven." He paused for a moment. "It's hard to put it into words."

Leah turned to him, her chest tight almost too tight for words. "What you just said sounded like poetry."

He faced her, his verdant eyes glistening. "It makes it all worth it, you know? Things are hard here, but it doesn't matter because you get to be surrounded by all this."

The corners of her mouth lifted at the beauty in his words, and she turned back to admire the splendor again. "I get it now." She'd fallen in love with the peace and solitude of life at the cabin, but the glory of this view was enough to capture her heart forever.

They sat for a while, enjoying the sight before them. "That's one of the pastures where I grow hay in the summer." Gideon pointed to the valley below. "Our property line goes to the base of the other mountain, but no one owns the land on that slope so I don't worry too much about the cows wandering." He pointed out an elk at the edge of the woods far below.

Too soon, Gideon squared his shoulders and picked up his reins. "We'd better keep moving."

When they reached a large valley, a group of cows and calves huddled at one end. The minute they saw Gideon, the animals began lowing and moving forward to greet him. He rode up to a little shed at the edge of the tree line and dismounted, speaking to the cows as he opened the door and forked hay into several piles. His voice was too low for her to understand his words, but the cows seemed to comprehend and settled in to munch on the fodder he provided.

While he worked, Leah rode over to where he'd tied his gelding and secured Annabelle to a nearby branch. He had grabbed an ax from the shed and seemed to be heading for the tree line.

"What can I do?" she called, as she limped through the snow and mud toward the little barn.

He stopped and turned toward her, as if just noticing he wasn't the only person there. "Can you put out a couple more piles of hay, away from the rest? The horses will be up soon."

"Where are you going?" She hated to question him, but the thought of him leaving her in this unknown place coiled a knot in her stomach.

His lips tipped up. "There's a creek just inside the wood line. I'm going to crack the ice."

Relief slipped through her. "Oh. All right."

She struggled with the pitchfork in the barn, but managed to build two piles of hay a little distance from where the cows munched. The loud crack of the ax sounded just as she started back to the barn.

In between blows, a whinny rang from the opposite direction. She turned to see several horses trotting through the snow, their legs rising high like the Tennessee Walking horses on the plantations in Virginia.

Three foals plunged through the white powder at the back of the herd, Trojan among them, his long legs propelling him ahead of the other two youngsters.

The animals stopped at the hay she'd put out, and she made her way toward them, rubbing thick-coated shoulders and speaking softly to each.

A nudge at her waist brought Leah's attention down, where Trojan's soft muzzle nibbled her lambswool skirt.

"Hey there, fellow." She reached a hand to stroke his thick chestnut coat and laughed when he rubbed his head against her.

"He remembers you." Gideon's deep voice sent a little shiver down her back as he strode up to the colt's other side.

She glanced up at him, once again aware of how alone they were in this barren place. "I've missed this boy." She dropped her gaze back to Trojan, who was leaning into her hand as she scratched the base of his shoulder.

Gideon didn't say anything but stroked the colt's short mane. His gloved hands were so large compared to her own.

Her gaze drifted up to his face, and his intense eyes met hers. His thoughts were so hard to read. His gaze no longer held the distaste that had been there when she'd first come to the ranch. Was it admiration now? Or at least friendship? Was that too much to hope for? Even if she couldn't decipher the emotions swirling there, she would have loved to spend the rest of the day trying.

He was the first to look away, and disappointment slid through her when he turned. "I have halters in the shed if you want to work with the foals." His voice drifted over his shoulder as he moved away.

Over the next few hours, Leah thoroughly enjoyed herself, working with the horses and helping Gideon where she could. When she'd finished leading each of the foals, she found Gideon carrying a bucket of black goo among the cattle. He showed her how to apply it to scratches and various wounds the cows had acquired. He explained that the medicine both healed and, in the summer, kept out the flies that would lay eggs in the wounds, producing larvae and worms that would eat the cow from the inside out.

Gideon was an excellent teacher, despite his succinct manner. He had an incredible amount of knowledge and a light glimmered in his eyes when he spoke of the animals. He cared for each as if it were a prized possession.

As she followed him through the herd, they came to a gaunt cow with a large calf nursing at her side. Gideon set the bucket down and placed a hand on the mother's head.

"See this girl? Her calf is too big to be nursing still. He's taking all the nutrients she needs. If we don't wean him soon, she'll starve to death."

Leah stood behind him, watching the pair. "What can you do to stop him?"

She watched as Gideon took a handful of the black goo and rubbed a thick coat on the cow's udder. "This stuff is actually good for the cow's skin, but the stench should help discourage the little one from nursing."

When he'd checked and doctored each animal, she followed him back to the barn, a bit like a pet dog on its master's heel. She was learning so much, though, just walking with him and asking questions. Did he mind all the queries? He didn't seem annoyed. If anything he seemed more animated as he shared his knowledge.

Gideon closed the barn door and eyed the gray sky overhead. "It's about time to head back to the house for lunch."

Disappointment pinched her chest. Though she'd long since lost all feeling in her toes, she wouldn't have traded this morning for a thousand summer days.

"Gideon." She wasn't sure how to thank him, or even if she should try.

He swung his gaze from the sky to her face. He was so tall, and the width of his shoulders added to the feeling of strength he emanated.

"Yes?" His expression was earnest, almost concerned.

"Thank you for letting me come."

His face relaxed a bit, his eyes softening into an almost-smile. He took a step forward, bringing them just an arm length apart. His eyes had darkened into a deep emerald, stealing Leah's breath with their magnetism. His scent filled her head—the remnants of leather and pine and something spicy she couldn't put a finger on.

He was looking deep inside her now, as if searching for an answer. Her whole being splayed for him to see—her fears, her hopes.

He took another step, closing the distance between them. Her chin rose, her eyes locked in his. She couldn't move, couldn't breathe. He was so close.

His hand touched her cheek. She leaned into his warmth. Somehow his glove had disappeared.

And then his head came down, and his lips brushed hers. Warm, gentle, and exquisite. Her eyes fluttered shut as she breathed him in.

Her kiss was so sweet, her virgin lips so soft and supple. Their touch brought Gideon back for another taste. His hand crept up to her hair, weaving his fingers through the softness, thankful he'd shucked his gloves. He deepened the kiss, and she melted into his hands. This woman was amazing. Beautiful, strong, and oh so sweet.

She released a little mew, sending a shiver of desire through him. She was kissing him back now, and he forced himself to keep his hands above her shoulders. He had to stay strong with her, couldn't allow himself to be vulnerable…to care.

But then he felt it, the old familiar fear rising in his gut. Clawing his throat and souring the sweetness that was Leah's kiss.

He tore himself away and sucked in a breath. "I can't, Leah…I'm sorry."

He couldn't look in her eyes, couldn't let them capture him, couldn't see the disappointment there. He spun around, putting his back to her. He struggled to get control of himself, breathing deeply through his mouth.

A hand touched his arm. "Gideon?"

Her voice was full of questions. He hated himself. Why had he gotten close to her? Why had he allowed her to come out here in the first place? Having her so near all morning had weakened his defenses, twisted his mind into thinking a little taste wouldn't hurt.

"We need to get back now." He didn't mean for his voice to sound as harsh as it came out, but an apology would weaken his defenses…again.

Instead, he turned and marched toward the horses. A glimpse of her hurt expression as he brushed past plunged a knife into his gut. He relished the pain.