The word Levi murmured made her pause. Maybe she hadn’t heard him right. But when he cracked one eyelid open and asked in pleading tone, “More?” she barely bit back a smile. Yes, she could apply this treatment as long as he needed.
She let her fingers enjoy the sensations, but when she brushed a spot behind his left ear, he flinched. Easing back over the area, she found what she’d been looking for—a small bump, at least part of the cause for his aching head.
“Hurts.” The pain lines on his face deepened again, and she moved away from the knot.
“I’ll avoid that area.” As she resumed running her fingers through his hair, brushing her nails across his scalp in a soothing rhythm, his features softened again. Within a few minutes, his breathing deepened. Maybe he would finally get the sleep his body needed so much.
At last, she eased away, stood, and headed back out into the night. She had much to do before she could sleep. She had to gather everything they would need tonight, for who knew what tomorrow would bring?
When Levi awoke, a dim light filled the cave. Daylight.
His eyelids cracked open easier than they had before. The pain still gnawed at him, but his mind felt a little clearer. Not as clouded by numbness.
Audrey sat across the cave, her back to him as she worked on something. A faint glow from the fire illuminated her side. Waking to her nearby seemed natural, as though they’d always lived like this.
Yet what of her people? Her father? He must be frantic to find her.
She must’ve sensed him watching, for she glanced back, and a gentle smile warmed her face, even in the shadows. Turning partly to see him better, her gaze lingered on hisface. Maybe checking for pain, or awareness, or who knew what. “You’re feeling better?” She was learning to read him. That thought brought a mixture of pleasure and worry.
“I think so. How late is it?”
She reached for something near the fire, then shifted to face him fully, a cup in her hand. “Around midday, I think.”
He’d slept all night and through the morning, too?
She slipped her hand under his head to lift it as she placed the cup at his mouth. He drank obediently. Broth this time, with chunks of meat floating in the liquid. His belly said he needed more sustenance.
When she pulled the cup back, he swallowed the liquid in his mouth. “Is there any meat left? Or a roll?”
The shadows on her face deepened as her cheeks rounded in a smile. “Youarefeeling better.” She reached behind her, then turned back with a chunk of bread in her hand. “This is getting crusty. We need to finish off the baked goods in the next day or two. I wish I had ingredients to make more.”
He took the food and bit into it. It was a little on the tough side, and the bite made his head ache again. He broke off smaller pieces, and after a few minutes, his belly relaxed as it began to fill.
When he finished the bread, Audrey was ready with another cup. “Here’s tea that will help with the pain and keep your wounds from festering.”
He eyed the brew. “Is that what made me sleep so long?”
Her smile turned indulgent. “It helped you rest, but only because your body needs sleep to recover.”
He couldn’t deny that, but before he faded into that mindless place, they needed to talk. She moved closer with the cup, but he raised a staying hand. “In a minute.”
She paused, and her brows lowered as she studied him. She pulled the cup back to hold it in both hands, as though she needed something to occupy them.
“Your people must be worried about you. Your father.”
With her eyes shadowed, he couldn’t read her thoughts, but her lips pursed. Then finally they parted, but another moment passed before she spoke. “I think they believe I’m gone.”
A jolt shook him. “Dead?” Like Leonard?
She shook her head. “Left with you. Only a few people were out searching yesterday. I think they might have sent a group southward to try to catch up with us.”
As that thought worked through his mind, he did his best to examine the idea from every perspective, even though his wits weren’t nearly as sharp as they should be.
If the people of Laurent thought he’d left the area, they should be safe here in this cave. Unless someone accidentally spotted smoke from their fire or glimpsed Audrey when she was out gathering firewood.
But if they thought she’d run away with him, her reputation was permanently besmirched. Would it help to send her back now? It would prove that she hadn’t left with him, but it also might bring suspicion about whether he still hid nearby.
But that didn’t change the fact that she must miss her father. Her friends. Even if most of the village would really believe that she’d run away with a man, those who loved her best must know the purity of her heart.
