Chapter 21

CHAPTER 21

“ H o.”

Jess forced her eyes open as Gil’s brother brought their mount to a halt after a long day’s ride. She straightened and blinked to bring into focus a small building in front of them. “What is this?”

“An old trapper’s cabin." Jude’s voice came low and weary. "Two Stones knew about it. Should be safe for us to rest a while."

She was too exhausted to protest. They’d ridden through the night, staying in the river—in the shallows on the opposite side. Just before dawn, they’d ventured away from the water over a rocky open area, then into the woods.

Not once had they seen Jedidiah’s men.

At first, that had been a relief. Yet it felt too good to be true. Was the fight really over?

As the morning passed, she’d dozed against Jude’s back. Maybe that had been overly familiar with a man she’d never met before, but he was Gil’s brother. He’d saved her life. And anyway, she couldn’t have kept herself awake even if she’d wanted to. Perhaps the baby made her more exhausted than she would have been.

Now, she slid from the horse, her legs unsteady as they landed on the ground. She turned to look for Gil. He would need help to dismount. During their travels, she’d given him a couple doses of the laudanum that had somehow stayed in her pack during the fight. Though he took enough to make him sleepy, he’d still be in some pain.

But he’d already made it to the ground, thanks to his brother’s help, and now stumbled toward the shack.

She hurried to catch up with him and reached him as he pulled the latchstring to open the cabin door.

A blast of musty air pushed out as the door swung inward. The place looked deserted. Gil stepped inside, and she stayed close to him.

A few log stumps sat around a fireplace on one end. Gil shuffled toward them and lowered to one and sat, squeezing his eyes shut against his pain.

She touched his shoulder. “I’ll get blankets and food so you can lie down and eat.”

She turned back toward the door, but his voice paused her. “Wait.” He nodded toward one of the other logs. “Sit, Jess. My brothers will bring in everything. I’m sure you’re exhausted. And the baby…”

Heat flushed up her neck, and she glanced to make sure the others weren’t inside yet to hear. “I’m all right. I’ll rest when you’re settled.” Her hand crept up to the roundness at her middle. Could the baby have been injured in the fight? She’d not been struck close to her belly, so surely not.

Had she felt a flutter yet today? Her mind was so numb, she couldn’t be certain.

Footsteps at the door pulled her focus as Jude stepped inside, arms full of packs and satchels. “I don’t know what all the two of you need. There’s food here, though not much. Two Stones is going to hunt so we’ll have fresh meat.”

She moved to the load. “A bit of food and some blankets will be helpful. Gil needs to eat and rest.”

Jude pushed a satchel toward her. “This has food. I’ll get the blankets next, then start a fire.”

As she opened the clasp and pulled out a leather-wrapped bundle, Gil spoke from where he still sat on the log, his head in his hands. “Jude, if I fall asleep, make sure Jess eats plenty and rests. She's eating for two."

Jess's heart stuttered.

She didn’t have the nerve to look at Jude’s expression, but he’d stopped walking and was surely staring at her.

Why did Gil tell him? That was her news to share if she chose.

“Will do.” Jude’s footsteps sounded until they muffled on the dirt outside.

She turned a glare on Gil. He’d lifted his head, not a trace of apology on his face.

He raised a hand before she could speak. “I’m sorry to tell private details like that, but Jude had to know so he can see that you have everything you need.” The uninjured side of his face pulled up in a lopsided smile. "His wife, Angela, is expecting too. He'll know how to help."

As much as she wanted to vent her frustration, how could she rail at Gil for wanting to care for her? And the thought that there was another woman in her condition at the ranch where they were headed… If she already had one thing in common with one of the inhabitants, maybe she wouldn’t feel like such an outsider.

The leather bundle held strips of smoked meat—the same as what Jude had shared with them on the trail. The aroma made her stomach twist and release a hungry gurgle. She handed two pieces to Gil and bit into her own. She’d not realized how very hungry she was.

When Jude returned with a load of rolled blankets, she laid out one while he spread the other. Then she helped Gil shift to his hands and knees, then lower onto his back.

He released a long slow breath, his eyes closing. “That’s better.” Then he lifted one lid to look at her. “You should lie down too. It feels awfully good.”

“He’s right.” Jude had moved to the fireplace and knelt to gather the burnt scraps of wood. “There’s nothing else to do. Miles is feeding the horses, and Two Stones already caught our dinner. He’s skinning it now.”

She lowered herself onto the blanket she’d placed beside Gil’s. Was it improper to lie so close to him now that they weren’t pretending to be married? His brothers and friend had asked very few questions, but they had to be curious.

Probably, this would be the time they’d want answers.

As Jude built a fire, Gil's fingers found hers, his rough palm sliding against her own. The simple touch felt so intimate, maybe because they were both lying down. Yet she couldn’t make herself pull away. The warmth of him, the solid strength in his grip, felt like an anchor in the chaos.

The flames seeped warmth into her bones and chased away the chill that had settled deep within her. She’d had Jude’s solid form to shield her from most of the wind as they’d traveled up and down mountains, but the weather seemed much colder in these parts than around their cave home.

Miles and Two Stones entered together, the younger Coulter brother rubbing his hands against the cold. Two Stones carried something to the fire. She couldn’t see what he was doing, but that must be the dinner he’d caught.

She’d always purchased their food in Canvas Creek, so she’d rarely eaten fresh game and had only seen it cooked once. One of the miners had been broiling a hare in the bunkhouse last year when she was there stitching a cut closed on another fellow’s face.

Gil squeezed her hand, and his good eye opened to look at her. She must have tensed with the memory.

She forced her hand to loosen. He tightened his grip though. “What’s wrong?”

A rush of tears sprang to her eyes, but she forced them back. When would she stop being assaulted by emotion at the most inconvenient moments? She worked for a serene tone. “Nothing’s wrong.”

He stroked the back of her hand with his thumb. Gentle. Patient. “You don’t have to pretend, Jess.” He kept his voice quiet enough that its low rumble probably didn’t reach the others. “Not with me.”

To not have to pretend—to be strong, to be unmoved by the horror of the world.

Once more the tears surged, and she sniffed to hold them back. “I was thinking about the only other time I’ve seen wild game cooked over an open fire. I was stitching a gash on a man who’d been beaten by Jedidiah’s guards.” She glanced up at his face, letting herself take in the awful bruising. The wound she’d stitched on him just yesterday. “His injuries weren’t nearly as bad as yours.”

That one corner of his mouth tipped up again. Surely it hurt him to move even that part of his face. Yet it was the only sign that showed he was trying to smile. “Mine aren’t so bad. At least I have an excuse to keep you close.”

She couldn’t hide her own smile, but thankfully, the dim cabin hid the way her cheeks must have turned pink. “You don’t have to get beat up for that.”

She’d meant it in a teasing way. But in truth, the idea of leaving Gil’s side made her heart race. Staying with Gil meant safety.

Was that the only reason she wanted to cling to Gil? Safety? If she didn’t have to worry about her father or Jedidiah finding her—if she could travel anywhere in the world—would she still want to stay near the Coulter Ranch, close to Gil? She did need to worry about them though. Her father would send someone after her. Surely. He’d done it before.

But even if her safety weren’t in question, she couldn’t imagine leaving Gil. She couldn’t imagine a life that didn’t include him. She couldn’t imagine ever feeling complete apart from him. He’d become her safe haven, yes. But he’d also become…a friend.

Miles settled on one of the log stumps. “You two up for answering a few questions?”

Could she summon the energy? She’d have to.

At least Gil's grip on her hand stayed solid as he spoke. "Sure. Figured you all were curious.”

Miles’s expression took on the hint of a grin. "What happened out there? We got worried when we came back to Canvas Creek to help you look for Sampson and couldn’t find you."

“It's a long story.” Gil shifted to better face his brother. “I was searching farther out from town. One day, I found Jess on the mountain. We started talking, and I realized that her living situation wasn’t safe. She needed help getting away from her father. Simon McPharland. Most people call him Mick.”

Tension seeped into the air, so heavy it could smother. Apparently, his brothers knew that name well.

“Jess is nothing like her father though.” When Gil spoke again, his voice popped the bubble like a pin. “Not a single bit. She’s tried to escape him before, but his men found her and brought her back. One in particular is a lousy son of scum. Jedidiah, McPharland’s second in command.”

He cleared his throat. “We figured the only way to get her free with her father’s approval was to pretend to be married. The ruse worked pretty well for a while. We were nearly set to leave. I even got to talk to Sampson a few times too.”

Jude's head snapped up. "You found him? Where?"

Tension rose once again. "He's working for McPharland. In the mine there in that mountain where you found us."

Jude's brows lowered. "Why? Doesn't he know what kind of man McPharland is?"

"I think he knows." Gil's voice roughened. "He says he's not finished there yet. Wouldn't come back with us."

Miles leaned forward. "Did you tell him we've been looking for him? That we're all worried?"

"Yeah." Gil blew out a breath. "I begged him to leave with us. To come home or go somewhere else. Any place not under McPharland’s thumb. He refused."

The silence stretched, broken only by the crackle of the fire. “So,” Jude finally said, his words slow and deliberate. "What do we do now? Go back for him?"

Gil's fingers tightened around Jess's. "I don't think that's wise. At least not yet. Jess needs to get to safety first. To the ranch."

Jude seemed to be mulling through the situation. "You’re probably right. We might need the others so we can go back with more gunpower."

Gil shifted on the blanket, a wince tightening his features. "There's something else. We found some of the sapphires."

Jude straightened on his log. "You did? Where are they?"

"McPharland had them hidden in one of the storage caves. I think it’s only about half of what was stolen. Jedidiah caught me trying to get away with them. Probably moved them after that."

Miles scowled. "Is that how your face got rearranged?"

Gil gave a soft chuckle that looked more like a grimace. “It’s not as bad as it looks.”

Her chest ached with those words. She had no doubt he hurt every bit as much as the bruising and swelling made it seem.

“Anything else?” Jude looked between the two of them.

“That’s about it.” Gil sounded weary.

Jude turned his focus on her, and her chest tightened as she prepared for what he might say. He knew more of her father’s awful deeds now. Would he throw her out? Take her back to face her punishment?

Gil would speak up for her. Wouldn’t he? Anything seemed possible. The very worst seemed possible.

But Jude’s eyes softened. “I’m glad Gil found you. Glad we were able to get you out. You get some rest now.” He glanced over at Two Stones, who still sat by the roasting meat. “What do you think, should we head out about midnight?”

The dark haired man nodded. “Best to ride when we won’t meet others.” Two Stones had been mostly quiet until now, but his voice held a rich tone. His words were clear, almost without accent, though he didn’t use many to make his point.

Jude nodded, then shifted back to her. “We’re near the Mullan Road, and that’s a straight shot back to our ranch. But it gets a fair amount of travel that we’d rather avoid.”

"Good thinking." Gil's words slurred a bit as his eye closed.

“All right then. Sleep for now. Food should be ready when you wake up.” Jude pushed to his feet and moved to the pile of packs.

She let her eyes drift shut.

She should release Gil’s hand so he could rest better. Settle into her own space on the blanket and sleep.

But she couldn't make herself let go of him. Not now, and maybe not ever.