Chapter 27

27

L eah watched the rise and fall of the blankets across Gideon's chest while he slept. The steady rhythm soothed her nerves. Surely that was a sign he was resting well and regaining strength.

She pulled the quilt tighter around her shoulders, and leaned her head back against the wall. To stay close should Gideon need her, she was sitting on the floor, nestled into the corner of the wall and the bricks that lined the fireplace. The warmth permeating through the clay was calming.

For the first time, she allowed her mind to drift back through the surreal images of traipsing through the snow, finding the cave, Gideon lying so still, his skin as cold as a mountain stream. The bear with glassy eyes lying in the pool of blood, Gideon's bulk in the saddle in front of her, his body convulsing from the cold.

What had he been doing on that mountain? Did he know the cave was there? Maybe he'd been out hunting and stopped to eat a bite, or build a fire to get warm. Had the bear surprised him? And where was his horse?

If God hadn't led them to Drifter, they never would have found Gideon before he froze to death. She sent another prayer of thanks to her Heavenly Father.

And, Lord, please heal his wounds quickly. Help him not to be in too much pain. And then, as if by rote, her heart spoke its mantra. Lord, please soften his heart. Help him to heal and to forgive.

Leah stayed in that attitude of prayer for a few more moments, praising her Father for His mercies. At last, the fire beside her had died to a small flame. She released the blanket from her shoulders and moved to place more logs on the coals.

A stirring sounded behind her, and she turned to find Gideon's eyes open. The slits were a bit wider than the last time he'd awakened, and he seemed more aware.

"How're you feeling?" She moved forward to touch his forehead. He'd been a little feverish during the night, but his skin didn't feel as hot now.

His eyes opened a little more, enough to show a faint twinkle as he spoke. "Like I had a fight with a bear."

A rush of relief washed through her. He was feeling strong enough to joke. She stroked a stubborn lock of hair from his forehead as her mouth found its own smile. "At least you won."

Her eyes wandered to his face and found his green gaze like a homing pigeon. There was pain there, to be sure, but also an intensity that kept her from moving.

"You didn't tell me you were an angel."

Her heart did a little flip at those words, and her gaze lost its hold, sliding down to notice the rakish tilt of his mouth before she looked away. What did she say to that?

He released a chuckle before a wince cut it short.

Her attention jerked back to his face. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing. Just hurts to laugh or breathe."

She reached for the kettle from the hearth, and poured another mug of willow bark tea. "Drink more of this."

She began to spoon it into his mouth as before, but he shook his head.

"If you'll lift my head, I can drink it."

Was that a good idea? But she did as he asked, lifting his head just inches from the floor while she held the cup to his lips.

He was able to down most of the stuff before slumping back in exhaustion. He kept his eyes open, though. Maybe this would be a good opportunity to get some questions answered.

"Have you been able to remember how you came to be in that cave with the bear?"

His gaze drifted to the roof, but his focus seemed to be mostly inward, wandering to images playing in his mind. "Not really. I remember being there with the bear charging right at me. I got a shot in him, but it only made him madder."

Gideon's eyes closed and his dark brows pulled together, as if thinking was a challenge. "Drifter charged him, but the bear knocked him away. I thought he was a goner. Then the bear had me in the air. I landed next to my gun. I remember shooting, but that's all." Gideon's eyes fluttered open again, but were dull now—exhausted and spent from reliving his nightmare.

She brushed the hair from his forehead again. "God saved you for something special. But now you need to rest again. It's time to sleep."

He seemed to agree, for his eyelids had already drifted closed.

After watching him a moment, she crawled the few feet back to her blanket by the wall and curled up against the bricks. But it was a long time before sleep claimed her.

Leah awoke to the sound of metal clanging across the room. She jerked her head up, but was slowed by a sharp pain in her neck. A survey of the kitchen showed Miriam bent over the work table, pressing hard on something.

As Leah stretched and began to untangle herself from the blanket, her gaze drifted to where Gideon lay on the floor. The pain wasn't etched as deeply on his face this morning, and his breathing was steady.

She made a wide berth around him as she stepped toward the kitchen. Good thing she'd removed her noisy boots.

"How're you this morning?" she whispered to Miriam when she drew close.

Miriam whirled, her red-rimmed eyes searching, preparing for the worst. Leah winced at the fear there, and couldn't help but pull the girl into a hug.

Miriam's body relaxed against her, and Leah stroked her back while she spoke. "He did very well last night. Woke up a couple times and I gave him tea, then he went right back to sleep. He's in a bit of pain from some broken ribs, but in a few weeks he'll be better than new."

Miriam nodded and sniffed, then pulled away, wiping her eyes with her sleeve. "I know. It's just hard to see him like that."

Leah wanted to agree, but she didn't need to make it harder on Miriam. So she didn't respond. Instead, she gave the girl's back a final pat and stepped away. "I'll go feed the animals and milk Bethany. Do you need anything while I'm out?"

"Oh, let me go, Leah. I meant to do that before you woke up but got stuck with these biscuits. I'd rather be outside, even in the cold."

It seemed the little magpie was returning to her usual demeanor. This young lady was resilient, to say the least. "If you want. I'll take over breakfast, but make sure you bundle up."

As soon as Miriam left, Leah surveyed the biscuit dough spread across the work table and the haphazard pile of dough circles that had already been cut. She couldn't help but smile.

By the time Miriam blew back through the door in a flurry of wind and cold air, Leah had the oats boiled, the gravy keeping warm on the back of the stove, and a pan of biscuits about ready to come out of the oven.

"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."

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 a 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. "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 him again. "We're going to raise you up 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 her and Miriam 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, she studied his dark lashes. How had she never noticed how long they were 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 gaze.

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.

Gideon mumbled something she couldn't make out, but it sounded like it had something to do with being perfectly capable of feeding himself.

Despite the pain in Gideon's ribs every time he moved, it was driving him 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 words, 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.

He 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?"

Ire rose in his chest. "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 would come 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 stubborn 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.