But he didn’t say this, partly because Kell didn’t need to carry the weight of Bede’s confusion, and also because saying it out loud might make it more real than he could deal with right now.
Instead, he sank into sleep and in the morning, though he did his best, he did not stay in bed. He took half of a dose of codeine, the small pill snapped in two pieces between his fingernails, and saved the other half for bedtime.
Then, after a hot shower, and a good breakfast, he joined the team at the paddock for the riding lesson.
Galen raised an eyebrow at him and shook his head, muttering admonishments to take it easy, and this Bede did. He almost felt like a new man and pretended he had no idea why.
Chapter 25
Galen
During the riding lesson, Galen kept his eye on Bede while doing his best to look like he wasn’t turning into a mother hen and failing miserably. He noted that Bede seemed to be holding his left shoulder a little stiffly, but other than that, he seemed fine.
At least the air was a little cooler, with puffy clouds coming over Guipago Ridge, bringing along with them the promise of rain. The slight breeze mixed the scent of moisture with the dust from the paddock and the horses’ coats as they curried and brushed.
“We’re only walking today,” Galen said as he helped his team saddle their horses and mount up. “Then we’ll turn and walk the other way.”
“But I want to trot,” said Toby. The words were on the verge of a whine, but then Toby seemed to think better of it and pulled the whine back.
“We’re not trotting yet, Toby,” said Galen. “Perhaps tomorrow.”
He was getting better at being stern, perhaps, because Toby might have been muttering under his breath, but he did as hewas told and kept his horse to a walk. Behind him in line, Owen was laughing at Toby.
Behind Owen, obediently walking, Bede sat straight in his saddle, his legs long along the horse’s sides, his wide grin sparkling at Galen beneath the shadow of the brim of his cowboy hat. Of course, he wasn’t smiling just at Galen, surely. But Galen gave him smiles in return, and it was absurd, yet felt so perfect and right.
No. Galen couldn’t think of that. He was going to focus on the lesson, and after lunch he’d take his team up the dusty path toward Guipago Ridge, where they would attack what seemed to be the last of the knapweed. They’d finish by Friday afternoon, hopefully, then they’d be off to the tavern for the celebration to mark their first two weeks in the valley.
Galen made a mental note to remind Leland about the phones, and to make reservations at the tavern, and felt well pleased with himself as he turned his attention back to his team.
“Rest those hands easy, Owen,” he said. “You don’t need to keep tugging on the reins unless you’re giving a specific direction to Diamond. Walk on.”
The horse lesson ended smoothly, which he was glad for, and though he could really have used a mid-day swim, his team insisted on sticking close as they went to lunch, and as he didn’t want to inviteallof them?—
He wanted to invite Bede andonlyBede for a swim, and promised himself the swim would happen the first chance he got.
The afternoon was simmering hot, the air very still. As they walked up the trail to the ridge, they were in a cloud of dust because somehow they were working in the exact spot, edged by sharp granite boulders, where no breeze could find its way.
At least the view over the valley, the shimmering round half circle of the lake, was amazing. And while Galen would rather beswimming, he did his best to keep his team engaged, rather than wilting in the heat.
“I think there’s a bat hideout somewhere along here,” Galen said as they took a rest break, drinking large gulps of cool water from plastic bottles.
He looked at his team. Even Bede seemed only mildly interested, and Galen didn’t know enough about bats to draw them in.
“There are hawks up here, as well.” That brought a little more interest, but not very much.
“Are there bears?” asked Bede.
Galen shook his head and wiped the sweat from the back of his neck with his red bandana. “Not this time of year. In the fall, yes, you’d have to keep an eye out, as they’re foraging around, looking for food.”
The heat didn’t let up even as they finished work for the day and toted their tools, hoes and shovels and hand pumps, down the path to the supply shed. They were running behind, so there wasn’t time for a shower before dinner, though Galen paused as they lined up for the buffet, tugging on Bede’s shirt sleeve.
He’d been watching Bede all day, for stiffness, for any sign of discomfort, and now that they were standing so close, that was when he could see the strain along Bede’s neck.
“You should take something,” he said, telling himself that his heart’s pace didn’t pick up at Bede’s nearness, at the idea of doing something so bold as to let his body enjoy that closeness. “Stay ahead of the pain.”
“I’m all right.” Bede rolled his shoulders in a slow and mesmerizing way. “I’ll take it at bedtime. It’ll help me sleep.”
It wasn’t until after dinner, when they were all seated around the campfire, listening to Royce read aloud about bats, that Galen felt a restlessness creep up on him.
